Search and rescue efforts were underway early on Tuesday in dozens of cities and towns in western Colombia after a powerful earthquake struck the region, killing at least 111 people and leaving many trapped under the debris of damaged and destroyed buildings.
Monday’s 7.4 magnitude earthquake rattled Cali, Quibdo, Pereira and numerous other cities and towns. About 1,600 buildings were reported damaged or collapsed. Soldiers, rescue personnel and families picked through the rubble, removing and passing large pieces of concrete by hand down lines of volunteers.
President Abelardo de la Espriella said on Monday afternoon at least 111 people had died.
Families posted information about missing loved ones on citizen-run websites. By Monday night, more than 2,700 people had been reported missing.
Dana Carolina Zamora posted an image of her missing 60-year-old uncle, Miguel Angel Zamora, cradling his dog. The farmer was living in a rural area of El Cairo, not far from the epicentre of the quake in San Jose Del Palmar.
Local authorities said 80% of El Cairo, a town of about 7,000 people, was damaged.
Ms Zamora said she was worried because her uncle lived in a traditional but fragile house made of sticks and mud.
“We are afraid. We hope that is not the case, that he is all right and that it is only a communication failure. But we haven’t heard anything from him,” she said.
Choco, the region surrounding the quake’s epicentre, is one of the poorest and most neglected regions of Colombia, often beset by warring armed groups. Much of Choco is accessible only by boat, through the jungle or by airplane. Little was known about the extent of the damage there.
Mr De la Espriella travelled to Choco’s capital Quibdo on Monday night to assess the damage and announced he had mobilised “the entire military and police apparatus” to respond, deploying engineers, rescue workers and search dogs.
He announced rental subsidies for those whose homes were damaged while they undergo repairs.
“Choco will never again be the ‘land of the forgotten’,” he said.
The earthquake presents the first major test for Mr De la Espriella, who was sworn in as Colombia’s leader on Friday. The president is a divisive figure because of his pledge of an all-out crackdown on criminal groups.
The US State Department announced it would provide 15.5 million dollars (£11.47 million) for emergency shelter, food and other aid. Governments across Latin America also lined up to help.
The earthquake left many in the Andean nation unnerved after two back-to-back quakes devastated neighbouring Venezuela in late June, destroying hundreds of buildings and killing more than 6,300 people.
Many Colombians were only beginning to grapple with the disaster’s longer-term consequences.
Monica Sanchez owns a small company that makes work uniforms. Her home city, Pereira, was one of the worst hit and a wall inside the factory collapsed. Ms Sanchez and her 12 workers were able to get outside just in time.
“It was shocking — the city fell down around us,” she said.
