Colombia Quake Toll Passes 260 as Rescue Nears Final Phase
The death toll from Monday’s earthquake in western Colombia has passed 260, with authorities putting the confirmed dead at around 265 and describing the rescue as entering its final phase. The number of people still missing has been revised sharply down, to roughly 500, as those feared lost are gradually accounted for. Three days of national mourning are being observed.
The magnitude-7.4 quake, centred on San José del Palmar in the Chocó region, destroyed more than a thousand homes and levelled parts of the city of Cali. As search teams reach the last cut-off communities, the grim work is shifting from rescue to recovery, and the missing tally — once feared to run into the thousands — has fallen as families reconnect and evacuees are registered. President Abelardo de la Espriella, only weeks into office, has led the response amid international offers of aid, including from the European Union. Rebuilding in the impoverished, mountainous region will take years. Watch for the final casualty count and the scale of the reconstruction effort.