The death toll from the earthquake in Colombia rises to 250, and the number of injured already exceeds a thousand

BarcelonaThe number of victims of the earthquake in Colombia continues to rise. There are already at least 250 dead and a thousand injured, according to the preliminary assessment of the local authorities. On the other hand, the president of the country, Abelardo de la Espriella, has lowered the number of deaths to 181, but has assured that the number of injured is much higher: almost 2,600. Be that as it may, the emergency is total. There are 195 missing, and rescue teams continue to work against the clock to find survivors. Consular services have not managed to locate 164 Spaniards who were theoretically in the country on the day of the tragedy. There is no news of them.

This Monday's earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.4, is already the most devastating the South American country has suffered in decades. The tremors mainly affected the coffee axis, in the heart of Colombia, and reduced 1,136 homes to rubble, and damaged 8,357 houses and 807 educational centers, according to data provided by the president himself. The government has declared a "national disaster" and has launched several unified command centers. Meanwhile, volunteers and humanitarian agencies are trying to supply water, food, and medical care to those who have been lucky enough to be saved.

Hospital emergency in Cali

In Cali, the capital of the department of Valle del Cauca and one of the most affected localities, authorities have confirmed a provisional toll of 95 dead and 949 injured. In addition, at least 239 people remain trapped in collapsed buildings, according to the city's mayor, Alejandro Éder. The earthquake caused the collapse of 45 buildings and serious structural damage to more than 90. As a result, thousands of people have lost their homes and have been forced to live on the street: they sleep and cook there.

The situation of health services is also critical. At least 85 health centers have suffered damage, but two collapsed completely: one from the company EPS Sanitas and another from the Clínica Valle Salud. Patients and health professionals were trapped under the rubble. "There were many people in the ICU and hospitalized; we need to get them out. The building collapsed; it is completely destroyed," warned one of the doctors from Clínica Valle Salud, Dr. Juan Gallego, via social media.

Likewise, the Hospital Universitario del Valle has suffered landslides and partial damage to its infrastructure. Its director, Irne Torres Castro, explained that some upper floors of the building, partly dedicated to pediatric care, collapsed and patients were trapped there. As a consequence, more than 600 people have had to be treated in the middle of the street.

However, despite the chaos, in the south of Cali, moments of hope are also being lived: applause and shouts of euphoria resonate in the street every time rescue teams manage to pull someone alive from under the rubble. "These moments fill us with hope and excitement," said a journalist while broadcasting a live rescue for Caracol Televisión.

Devastation in Pereira

Another of the most devastated regions is the department of Risaralda, where nearly 90 people have lost their lives. In the capital, Pereira, entire residential neighborhoods have been razed. Local authorities have counted 58 collapsed structures and estimate that 52 people remain under the rubble. "They have already pulled some out, alive and dead. It's very painful," explains Fernanda Gaviria, 33, who observes the scene from a grocery store located just opposite a collapsed building. The situation in this locality is especially tense. The mayor, Mauricio Salazar, has decreed a nighttime curfew to prevent possible looting and facilitate the work of security forces.

On the other hand, several regions, especially in the department of Chocó, near the epicenter, have been left without electricity, drinking water, or telephone service. This is further complicating rescue efforts and the distribution of humanitarian aid. In Manizales, rescue teams are working to find survivors among the thirty collapsed buildings, including the tower of the city's cathedral.

No news of 164 Spaniards

The Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, has reported that he has no knowledge of any fatalities among Spaniards who were in Colombia at the time of the earthquake. Similarly, the Minister of Foreign Action of the Generalitat, Jaume Duch, has assured that, for the moment, they also have no knowledge of any injured among the approximately 7,800 Catalans living in the country. However, consular authorities have not yet been able to contact the 164 Spaniards who were theoretically in the country yesterday. For this reason, Albares has called on Spanish citizens in the areas affected by the earthquake to urgently contact the consular services. According to him, the government is "fully mobilized" to try to find them.

Several countries have offered aid to the coffee-producing country in the face of tragedy. This has been done by the United States, which has announced 15.5 million dollars in emergency aid, mainly for shelters, food, protection, and damage assessment. The president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, has also made rescue teams, medical and paramedical personnel, and emergency materials available to Colombia, while the president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, has offered the aid that the Colombian government needs. Venezuela has also shown its willingness to send rescuers and humanitarian aid, a few weeks after the double earthquake that affected that country and caused 5,346 deaths and 16,740 injuries.

Risk of aftershocks

In the 24 hours following the earthquake, Colombia has registered more than 90 seismic aftershocks. Most of them in the towns of San José del Palmar and Sipí, two areas very close to the epicenter. The most intense aftershock had a magnitude of 4.8 on the Richter scale, a moderate level that usually does not cause serious damage, but which generates panic among the population. This is what happened in the Los Cámbulos neighborhood, in Cali, which this Tuesday was evacuated due to a new tremor of magnitude 3.8.

Regarding the maritime situation, the Colombian General Maritime Directorate (Dimar) has ruled out the threat of a tsunami on the Pacific coast, although it has warned that high sea levels are expected during the next seven days.