Colombia.- The 7.4 magnitude earthquake that struck Colombia this Monday left 35 dead and at least 188 missing in Cali alone, in addition to some 700 injured and 5,000 homes destroyed or affected in this city, reported the president, Abelardo de la Espriella.
De la Espriella reported that so far there are “35 dead and approximately 700 injured” in the city of Cali (southwest), in addition to three collapsed hospitals, 18 damaged hospitals, 39 affected educational centers, and the airport suffered some damage, which is why operations are restricted.
Furthermore, the president assured that there are “approximately 5,000 homes damaged and collapsed“, during a report given at the end of a meeting with city authorities.
De la Espriella, who took office as president of Colombia for the 2026-2030 term precisely in Cali this past August 7, announced that official reports account for at least 188 people missing in the city, for which several search and rescue teams have been deployed to carry out operations during the night.
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Across the country, there are currently 132 deaths, according to the Association of Capital Cities of Colombia (Asocapitales), because since noon this Monday, the Government has not released any further consolidated data at a national level.
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“We already have 228 rescuers and the canines in the city of Cali that will help us in that search for the missing,” said the leader.
De la Espriella arrived in Cali after setting up the Unified Command Post in Bogotá and having traveled to Quibdó, the capital of the Chocó department, where the municipality of San José del Palmar is located, the epicenter of the earthquake that occurred at 7:34 local time.
In Chocó, a department on the Colombian Pacific coast (west), the president reported 13 deaths, 119 injured, and five missing.
