This is a follow up on our coverage of the deadly earthquake that hit Colombia. Read our first coverage here: 7.4 Earthquake Kills Over 100 in Colombia
Aftermath
Four days after the powerful tremor that first claimed over 100 lives, rescue teams dig on with dwindling odds of finding more survivors.
The death toll from Colombia’s strongest earthquake this century has climbed past 280. Officials reported 285 confirmed dead by Friday, with nearly 4,000 injured and 379 still missing.
The magnitude 7.4 quake struck at 7:34 a.m. local time on August 10 near San José del Palmar in Chocó department. It flattened apartment blocks and homes across western Colombia, hitting hardest in the coffee-growing cities of Pereira and Cali.
Rescue Window Narrows
Search crews continue working through unstable rubble in Pereira and Cali. At one residential complex in Cali, teams recovered more bodies while still hunting for the missing. Aftershocks, more than 170 recorded so far, keep complicating the effort.
Authorities say the critical period for finding people alive has largely passed. The National Unit for Disaster Risk Management noted the chances of more survivors are shrinking, yet teams refuse to stop until every missing person is accounted for.
One rare note of hope emerged Friday in Pereira, where rescuers raced to free a man detected alive under a collapsed hotel. Operations like this remain the exception as the response shifts toward recovery and debris clearance.
Scale of the Damage
The quake affected more than 45,000 families and over 100,000 people across 15 departments. Officials counted roughly 12,800 homes destroyed and more than 73,000 damaged. Scores of schools, health centers, and other buildings also suffered serious harm.
International teams from the United States and other countries have joined Colombian responders. Satellite imagery and aerial surveys are helping map the worst-hit zones.
Looking Ahead
President Abelardo de la Espriella has overseen the national response since the first hours of the disaster. The government earlier declared a state of emergency and national mourning. Families continue waiting outside ruined buildings for news of loved ones still unaccounted for.
This follows the initial reports of more than 100 deaths just hours after the quake. The human cost keeps rising as crews reach deeper into the debris.
AI Disclosure: This article was created with the assistance of artificial intelligence tools and was reviewed and edited by the Glowls News editorial team before publication.