The death toll from the earthquake that struck Colombia on Monday rose this Saturday to 294 people, while another 320 remain missing and 3,935 have been injured, according to the latest report from the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD).
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The report at 6:30 a.m. this Saturday, August 15, raised the number of fatalities by six compared to the balance delivered on Friday.
While search operations continue in the most affected areas, emergency teams have managed to rescue 353 people alive since the earthquake occurred.
The earthquake, of magnitude 7.4, was recorded on Monday, August 10, and mainly struck the western part of the country. Its effects so far reach 448 municipalities in 15 of the 32 Colombian departments.
According to the UNGRD, there are 54,008 affected families, equivalent to 115,461 people directly affected by the emergency.
The damage assessment also continues to increase as inspections progress.
Authorities count 14,493 completely destroyed homes and another 81,506 with varying levels of damage. Additionally, 66 buildings collapsed, mainly in Cali and Pereira, capitals of Valle del Cauca and Risaralda, respectively.
The impact also extends to public infrastructure and basic services. The report records damage to 241 health centers, 2,612 educational establishments, and 3,621 community centers.
298 roads, 59 aqueducts, 44 vehicular bridges, five pedestrian bridges, and five airports also remain affected.
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Response efforts have been especially concentrated in Valle del Cauca, Risaralda, Caldas, Quindío, and Chocó, where authorities have deployed satellite images, drones, and overflights to assess the damage and support emergency work.
The Colombian Geological Service (SGC) reported that by Friday night, 256 aftershocks had been recorded following the earthquake. Of these, 17 exceeded magnitude 3 and two were greater than magnitude 4.
During this day, the death of Daniela Largo, 32 years old, was also confirmed. She had been rescued alive after remaining for nearly 36 hours under the rubble of a collapsed building in Pereira.
The woman was located during the night of Tuesday, August 11. Emergency teams needed about 10 hours of work to reach her, crossing four concrete slabs and digging a tunnel beneath the structure.
After being rescued, Largo remained hospitalized for several days in an intensive care unit, where she ultimately passed away.
Her rescue was one of the episodes that marked the operations carried out in Pereira, one of the cities most affected by the earthquake.
Six days after the earthquake, work continues in the most affected sectors, while heavy machinery and rescue teams keep removing collapsed structures in search of the 320 people who remain missing.
