BOGOTA — Colombia’s death toll from Monday’s magnitude 7.4 earthquake rose to 281 on Friday, while 379 people remained missing and nearly 4,000 were injured, according to the latest government figures, as rescue teams continued searching damaged areas for survivors.
The United Nations National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) reported 3,971 injuries and said 348 people had been rescued. The earthquake, which struck on Aug. 10, was centered near San Jose del Palmar in the western department of Choco and caused extensive damage across several departments, according to the agency.
The disaster has affected more than 102,000 people and left nearly 45,000 families affected, the UNGRD said. Its damage assessment recorded 10,677 homes destroyed, 65,841 damaged and 127 buildings collapsed. Health centers, schools, roads, bridges, water systems and airports were also damaged.
The search for missing people continued four days after the quake, although rescue operations were entering a more difficult phase as the window for finding survivors narrowed. Emergency workers have been searching collapsed structures in cities including Cali, Pereira and Manizales, while remote communities in Choco have faced additional challenges because of damaged infrastructure and communications.
President Abelardo de la Espriella, who took office shortly before the earthquake, has declared emergency measures and said the government would move toward reconstruction while continuing rescue and humanitarian operations. He has also called for cooperation with the private sector to rebuild damaged homes and infrastructure.
International assistance has begun arriving, with foreign rescue and aid teams supporting Colombian emergency authorities. The government has said it is coordinating the acceptance of international search-and-rescue assistance according to its operational requirements.
The quake was among the most powerful to strike Colombia in decades and was the country’s most significant seismic event of the 21st century, according to reporting citing seismological assessments. The full extent of casualties and damage remains subject to further verification as authorities continue assessments in affected communities.
