Colombian rescue workers are searching for survivors after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit the country's west, killing at least 224 people and leaving at least 3,000 missing. The earthquake, which struck on Monday at 7:34am, is the deadliest in Colombia this century.
In Cali, one of the worst-affected cities, firefighters rescued a 35-year-old man from a collapsed building nearly 24 hours after the quake. Civilians reportedly pulled at least five survivors from a partially collapsed hotel in another part of the city, where 85 deaths have been confirmed.
President Abelardo de la Espriella, who was sworn into power last Friday, returned to Cali on Monday night. He told reporters that 5,000 homes had been destroyed and 188 people were missing in the surrounding department of Valle del Cauca. Cali's mayor, Alejandro Eder, stated that emergency responders had rescued 37 people from 40 completely collapsed buildings in the city.
The situation in Pereira, 130 miles north of Cali, also appears dramatic, with at least 53 people reportedly trapped in 58 collapsed constructions and 66 deaths confirmed. President de la Espriella has mobilised over 1,000 troops to prevent public disturbances amid reports of looting. He quickly declared a state of emergency and is personally leading the disaster response, sending ministerial teams to the worst-affected areas.