PEREIRA, Colombia — The death toll from a powerful earthquake in western Colombia has risen to at least 250, as rescue crews searched through collapsed buildings on Wednesday for survivors still trapped beneath the rubble.
The 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck on Monday in the country's coffee-growing region, causing widespread damage in cities including Pereira and Cali. Separate reports from affected cities put the toll at 254 on Tuesday, with 101 deaths reported in Pereira and 95 in Cali.
Rescuers have been using excavators, cranes and their hands to clear debris, repeatedly calling for silence to listen for people beneath collapsed structures. At least one woman was pulled alive from the rubble in Cali on Tuesday.
The earthquake also damaged homes, schools, hospitals and other infrastructure. Communities in Choco, near the quake's epicenter, have faced particular difficulties because some areas remain without power and basic services, complicating rescue and relief operations.
Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella said the government had mobilized military and police personnel, engineers, rescue workers and search dogs to assist the response. Earlier official figures cited by the president put the national death toll at 181, while local authorities reported higher numbers as recovery operations continued.
More than 100 aftershocks had been recorded by Tuesday, according to reports citing the Colombian Geological Service.
Rescue operations were continuing across the hardest-hit areas, while authorities worked to reconcile casualty figures and assess damage in remote communities.
