‘It Was Like a Nightmare’: Survivors Reveal Horror
News Desk
Pereir/Cali: Colombia was grappling with the aftermath of its strongest and most destructive earthquake of the century on Tuesday, with the death toll reaching 254 as rescue teams searched through collapsed buildings for survivors.
The 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck the country’s western region early Monday, devastating parts of the coffee-growing heartland and damaging homes, apartment buildings, schools and medical facilities.
Pereira reported 101 deaths, while 95 people were killed in Cali, Colombia’s third-largest city. Other casualties were reported from several affected areas as emergency teams continued assessing the scale of the destruction.
Rescue operations remained particularly difficult in Choco, a heavily forested region along the Pacific coast near the epicentre. Several Indigenous communities were still without electricity and essential services, while damaged roads and communications hampered access for emergency crews.
President Abelardo De La Espriella visited some of the worst-hit areas shortly after taking office and pledged financial assistance for families who had lost their homes.
Across Pereira and Cali, rescuers worked through the night using heavy machinery as well as their bare hands. Volunteers formed human chains to remove rubble, while emergency teams used cranes and excavators to reach people trapped beneath collapsed structures.
In one of the most emotional rescue operations in Cali, crowds erupted in cheers after workers pulled a woman alive from the ruins of the Torres del Limonar apartment complex.
But the disaster also overwhelmed local services. Cali’s public morgue reached capacity as authorities continued recovering bodies from damaged areas.
Survivors described scenes of panic as buildings shook violently and residents rushed into the streets. In Pereira, Rosa Gonzalez said she escaped a guest house with her husband and 10-month-old baby moments before the building collapsed.
Social media influencer Jose Gallego, who was at Pereira airport when the earthquake struck, recorded the powerful shaking as sections of the ceiling came down. He later described seeing injured people searching desperately for relatives across the city.
Authorities said nearly 100 aftershocks had been recorded by early Tuesday, prompting many residents to remain outdoors rather than return to potentially unstable buildings.
The earthquake also caused widespread disruption to transportation and basic services. Six airports, including those in Quibdo, Pereira, Manizales, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura, were closed because of damage, while numerous roads were affected.
Power, water, healthcare and telecommunications remained disrupted in several communities, with Choco among the worst-hit regions.
The economic impact was also becoming clearer, with the National Coffee Federation assessing damage to farms and rural infrastructure in the country’s key coffee-producing areas.
International assistance began arriving as the United States announced $15.5 million in emergency support for shelter, food, protection and damage assessments. The Inter-American Development Bank also made $50 million available for reconstruction assistance if requested.
United Nations agencies said they were increasing their presence in affected communities and preparing food supplies for displaced families.
Officials warned that the final death toll could rise as rescue teams reach remote areas and communications are restored, with the full scale of the destruction expected to take several days to determine.
