Colombia Declares Mourning as Quake Toll Passes 250
Colombia has declared three days of national mourning as the death toll from Monday’s earthquake passed 250, with authorities reporting some 3,800 people still missing. Rescuers pulled a 32-year-old woman alive from the rubble after 36 hours, a rare bright moment as a 72-hour survival window narrowed. The European Union pledged aid, and the city of Cali remains the worst hit.
The toll from the magnitude-7.4 quake has climbed relentlessly, from about a hundred on Monday to more than two hundred and fifty by Wednesday evening, and officials warn it will rise further as crews reach communities cut off by landslides. The vast number still unaccounted for — reported at around 3,800 — reflects both the scale of the destruction and the difficulty of confirming who is trapped, displaced or simply out of contact. President Abelardo de la Espriella, only weeks into office, faces the gravest test of his young government, with international aid beginning to arrive. Aftershocks continue to threaten rescuers. Watch for the confirmed casualty figures as the search shifts from rescue to recovery.