International News: Rescue efforts intensify after deadly Colombia earthquake

By Zoila Palma:  Rescue workers in Colombia are racing to find survivors after a powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck the country on Monday, killing at least 181 people and injuring nearly 2,600 others.

The quake struck at 07:34 local time and was felt across hundreds of miles of western Colombia, with more than 70 aftershocks recorded since the main tremor.

Pereira and Cali are among the hardest-hit cities, with authorities reporting widespread building collapses and thousands of damaged homes, BBC reports.

 In Pereira, at least 79 people have died, while Cali has recorded 95 deaths. Nearly 200 people remain missing, while more than 1,100 homes have been destroyed and over 8,000 damaged. Hundreds of residents have spent nights outdoors, either because their homes were destroyed or due to fears of further collapses.

Rescue teams and volunteers continue searching through rubble for people trapped inside collapsed structures.

In Cali, 239 people were reportedly still trapped, while 45 buildings had completely or partially collapsed. Several upper floors of a hospital also collapsed, trapping patients, while four children were killed when part of a school in the Calima neighbourhood collapsed. Authorities have imposed restrictions in some areas, including a nighttime curfew in Calima, as officials work to prevent looting and maintain public safety.

President Abelardo de la Espriella has declared a state of emergency as Colombia receives offers of assistance from the international community.

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