BOGOTA—The death toll from Colombia’s powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake has risen to at least 254, according to tallies from affected cities, as rescue crews continued searching collapsed buildings for survivors in western Colombia.
The earthquake struck at 7:34 a.m. local time on Monday, causing widespread damage across the country’s coffee-growing heartland and Pacific region. Pereira reported 101 deaths and Cali, Colombia’s third-largest city, reported 95, according to the latest city-level figures.
The central government’s most recent nationwide count was lower, at 181 confirmed deaths, with 2,595 people injured and at least 195 officially reported missing, according to figures cited by the Associated Press on Wednesday. Authorities have not yet issued a newer consolidated national toll, leaving local and national figures out of step as rescue teams continue to recover victims.
Rescuers have been working around the clock in Cali, Pereira and Manizales, using cranes, excavators, search dogs and specialized equipment while volunteers clear debris by hand. Teams have repeatedly called for silence at collapsed structures so they can listen for people trapped beneath the rubble.
Several survivors have been pulled from damaged buildings since the quake, including two women rescued after extended periods beneath debris in Cali and another survivor recovered in Pereira. Rescue officials have said pockets of survivable space may remain inside collapsed structures.
More than 100 aftershocks had been recorded by Tuesday, complicating rescue operations and increasing risks for emergency workers. The Colombian Geological Service had placed Choco, near the earthquake’s epicenter, under its highest response alert.
Communities in Choco have faced particularly difficult conditions, with some Indigenous settlements still without electricity, water and other basic services. Landslides and damaged roads have also restricted access to areas near the epicenter, slowing the delivery of assistance and assessment of the full damage.
Initial assessments indicated that 12 departments were affected, with thousands of homes damaged and hundreds destroyed. Schools, health facilities, roads and airports were also affected.
International assistance has begun arriving. The European Union said it would provide 2 million euros ($2.3 million) for affected communities and activated its Copernicus satellite emergency service to support damage assessments. The United States has committed $15.5 million in emergency assistance focused on shelter, food and protection.
Search-and-rescue operations remain the priority as authorities work to locate people still missing. Officials have warned that communications problems and difficult access to some communities could delay the establishment of a final casualty count.
