Rescue workers in Colombia continued clearing rubble on Aug. 16, one week after a magnitude-7.4 earthquake killed nearly 300 people, with authorities saying at least 140 people remain missing and the probability of finding survivors declining sharply.
Colombia earthquake death toll nears 300 as rescue workers shift to rubble removal one week on
Rescue workers in Colombia continued clearing rubble on Aug. 16, one week after a magnitude-7.4 earthquake killed nearly 300 people, with authorities saying at least 140 people remain missing and the probability of finding survivors declining sharply.
The Aug. 10 earthquake destroyed thousands of buildings and nearly 27,000 homes across the country, leaving many survivors sleeping on mattresses or makeshift beds outdoors. Shelters displayed QR codes to allow affected residents to report missing relatives or damage to their homes.
In the hardest-hit cities, buildings were marked with a red 'X' to warn of collapse risk and prohibit pedestrian access. On at least one collapsed five-storey building in Cali, a rescuer marked a red 'V' crossed by a horizontal line, indicating the formal end of the survivor search at that site.
Cali's mayor, Alejandro Eder, estimated that reconstruction of Colombia's third-largest city will cost at least US$3.2 billion (S$4.09 billion). Colombia has received millions of dollars in aid from the United States and organizations including the World Bank, according to the report.
The disaster represents the first major test for right-wing President Abelardo de la Espriella, who was sworn in three days before the earthquake struck. On Aug. 15, he asked U.S. President Donald Trump for a temporary suspension of tariffs to assist Colombia's recovery.
- The source does not state the total number of people injured by the earthquake.
- The source does not state the specific amounts or breakdown of aid received from the United States or the World Bank.
- The source does not state whether President Trump responded to President de la Espriella's tariff suspension request.
- The source does not state the current status of government-organized rescue operations versus volunteer efforts.
- The source does not state how many people have been rescued alive since the earthquake struck.
Read the original at The Straits Times