Colombia Earthquake Toll Climbs to at Least 281
The death toll from the earthquake in western Colombia has risen to at least 281, with around 379 people still missing, according to Colombian authorities, as the search moves into its final phase past the 72-hour survival window. More than 12,000 homes are reported destroyed. Isolated rescues, including a baby pulled alive from the rubble in Cali, are still being recorded, but hope is fading.
The magnitude-7.4 quake, which struck on Monday, has become the deadliest disaster to hit Colombia in decades, and the toll has risen steadily as rescuers reached communities cut off by landslides. With the critical window for finding survivors now passed, the grim work is shifting from rescue to recovery, and the missing figure — still in the hundreds — will shape how much further the toll climbs. The scale of the destruction, with thousands of homes flattened, points to a reconstruction effort that will stretch over years in an impoverished, mountainous region. President Abelardo de la Espriella, only weeks into office, faces an early test of his government amid international offers of aid. Watch for the final casualty count and the scale of the rebuilding.