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Death toll from Colombia’s 7.4-magnitude earthquake rises to 314
The number of people killed in the 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck western Colombia on August 10 has risen to 314. Search teams are still looking for 262 people, while 4,437 were injured and 262,154 were affected by the disaster.
The death toll from the 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck western Colombia on August 10 has risen to 314. Search efforts for 262 people are continuing, according to a report published Wednesday by the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD).
A total of 4,437 people were injured in the earthquake, while 364 people were rescued alive from the rubble. A total of 262,154 people across 471 municipalities in 15 of the country’s 32 departments have been recorded as affected by the disaster.
The earthquake was centered in Chocó
The earthquake, which struck at 7:34 a.m. local time, was recorded as the strongest tremor Colombia has experienced this century. Its epicenter was identified near San José del Palmar in the Pacific coastal department of Chocó.
The tremor occurred at a depth of approximately 110 kilometers, with its effects spreading to the Coffee Axis region in western Colombia and major urban centers such as Cali and Pereira.
At least 30,664 homes were completely destroyed by the disaster, while 136,946 homes sustained structural damage. A total of 302 buildings collapsed, most of them in Cali and Pereira.
Structural damage was also identified at 3,470 schools, 4,971 community centers and 352 health centers. Some patients had to be evacuated from health centers.
Damaged transport and infrastructure facilities include 449 roads, 58 vehicle bridges, 13 pedestrian bridges, 105 municipal water networks and five regional airports.
Thousands of people are staying in temporary shelters
Hundreds of buildings in Cali and Pereira deemed unsafe were marked with red warnings reading “Do not enter.” As a result, thousands of displaced people are staying in temporary shelters or makeshift camps set up in open areas.
Remote rural municipalities in Chocó, Caldas and Quindío remain largely isolated because landslides have blocked main transport routes. Heavy seasonal rainfall, contaminated water sources and the risk of further landslides are increasing health risks for displaced people.
Economic losses expected to reach billions of dollars
Economists and disaster management experts estimate that the initial economic losses from the destruction of buildings and transport networks could reach billions of dollars. The scale of the damage indicates that rescue and reconstruction efforts could become one of the most costly operations in Colombia’s modern history.
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