The National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) reported this Wednesday the death of 312 people as a result of the 7.4 magnitude earthquake that shook central and western Colombia just over a week ago.
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In its latest report, the UNGRD has estimated 290 missing persons, a significantly lower figure than the 426 reported the previous day. It has also reported 4,611 injured and 358 people rescued.
More than 134,000 homes have been affected and another 4,600 have been destroyed by this tremor, whose epicenter is located in San José del Palmar, in Chocó, one of the most impoverished regions of Colombia, where the poor infrastructure and land routes hinder the delivery of humanitarian aid.
Although the damage has been mainly felt in the aforementioned Chocó, the ‘coffee axis’ and Valle del Cauca, where its capital, Cali, has been one of the hardest-hit cities, the earthquake has been felt in 470 municipalities across about fifteen departments, affecting more than 294,200 people.
The UNGRD has detailed that the earthquake has damaged 335 health centers, more than 3,400 schools and 4,000 community centers, as well as 430 roads, about a hundred aqueducts, 50 bridges, or five airports, among other infrastructures.
For his part, the Colombian president, Abelardo de la Espriella, has echoed on his social networks some of the measures that banks have implemented to ease the situation of affected families and businesses, with periods of interest forgiveness or suspension of charges for up to twelve months.
These initiatives represent amounts around 306 million euros, according to the Colombian president, which add to donations made by other private sector institutions, and would benefit those affected in Caldas, Chocó, Quindío, Risaralda, and Valle del Cauca.
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