International News: Hundreds remain missing as Colombia’s earthquake rescue effort enters grim phase

By Zoila Palma:  Hopes of finding more survivors following the powerful earthquake that struck Colombia earlier this week are fading, as rescue crews narrow their searches and families continue to wait for news of missing relatives.

In Cali, the country’s third-largest city, many teams have shifted from search-and-rescue operations to clearing debris, signaling a difficult new phase after the critical first 72 hours.

The 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck shortly after 7:30 a.m. Monday, destroying buildings and damaging homes, schools and hospitals across western Colombia, Reuters report.

Government figures released Thursday evening placed the death toll at 281, with more than 3,900 people injured and 379 still reported missing.

More than 150 aftershocks have also been recorded, complicating rescue operations and increasing risks for workers and displaced residents.

David Tamayo, head of Colombia’s National Unit for Disaster Risk Management, acknowledged that the chances of finding survivors are declining but said rescue teams would continue searching for everyone reported missing. In Cali, volunteers and emergency crews continued working through unstable rubble, while residents and local businesses provided food and other assistance to rescuers, medics and displaced families.

The disaster has also exposed challenges outside Colombia’s major cities.

In some communities, residents reportedly spent hours digging through collapsed structures with their bare hands before formal rescue teams arrived.

More than 10,500 homes are estimated to have been destroyed, while some affected communities continue to face shortages of water, gas and electricity. In parts of Buenaventura, access has also reportedly been complicated by armed groups.

The earthquake represents the first major crisis facing President Abelardo De La Espriella, who took office only days before the disaster.

He has announced plans to declare an economic emergency and establish a reconstruction fund to support the rebuilding of homes, schools, hospitals and other infrastructure.

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