Colombia Quake Search Enters Final Phase, Toll Near 265
The search for survivors of the earthquake in western Colombia has entered what officials call its final phase, with the confirmed death toll at around 265 and rescuers reporting it may be approaching 300. The number of people still missing has fallen sharply, to roughly 500, as families reconnect. Three days of national mourning are being observed.
The magnitude-7.4 quake, which struck on Monday and devastated the city of Cali, has proved the deadliest disaster to hit Colombia in decades, and the toll has climbed steadily as crews reached communities cut off by landslides. Officials now describe the operation as shifting from rescue to recovery, though the gap between the confirmed figure and the higher estimates reflects how fluid the counting remains. That the missing tally has dropped from thousands to hundreds offers a measure of relief amid the grief. President Abelardo de la Espriella, weeks into office, faces a vast rebuilding task in an impoverished region. Watch for the final casualty count and the shape of the recovery effort.