Colombia Earthquake Kills Hundreds, Thousands Missing as Rescues Continue

Search and rescue efforts resumed Tuesday in dozens of cities and towns across western Colombia after a powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck Monday, leaving over 3,000 people missing.

Local authorities reported the death toll surged to 224 on Tuesday. Earlier Tuesday, the Colombian Association of Capital Cities, Asocapitales, put the confirmed death toll at 169, with 668 people injured. Mayors and governors from Cali, Pereira, Choco, and Manizales stated at least 179 people had died in those four areas. The federal government's last update on Monday reported at least 111 deaths.

Around 1,600 buildings across the region have been reported damaged or collapsed, including multi-story structures in cities such as Pereira and Cali. One of the spires of a cathedral in Manizales also collapsed. In Cali, at least 95 people were killed, and 193 people were believed to remain trapped in 56 collapsed buildings as of Tuesday morning.

The quake's epicenter was near San Jose del Palmar in the Choco region, one of Colombia's poorest and most neglected areas, often accessible only by boat, through the jungle, or by airplane. The full extent of damage in remote communities remains unclear. President Abelardo De la Espriella, inaugurated days earlier, traveled to Choco's capital, Quibdo, on Monday night.

He announced the mobilization of the entire military and police apparatus to respond, deploying engineers, rescue workers, and search dogs. The United States has offered $15.5 million in emergency assistance, and the European Union activated its Copernicus satellite service to support rescue operations. South American football's governing body CONMEBOL postponed two continental club matches scheduled in Colombia, and the Colombian Football Major Division, DIMAYOR, suspended all domestic matches for the week.