Colombia earthquake: 32-year-old survivor rescued after 36 hours in Pereira rubble
Daniela Largo was extracted from beneath collapsed concrete slabs in Pereira, while authorities in Cali impose curfews as hundreds remain missing following the 7.4-magnitude tremor.
Emergency workers in Pereira, Colombia, have successfully rescued a 32-year-old woman, Daniela Largo, from beneath collapsed concrete slabs 36 hours after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia. The extraction followed a 10-hour operation in which firefighters dug two distinct tunnels to reach the survivor, who was trapped under four heavy concrete slabs.
The rescue effort was complicated by the structural instability of the site. Local firefighters, supported by colleagues deployed from the capital, Bogotá, and the national police force’s disaster response team, utilised a small camera to locate Largo after a resident heard her cry out. Through a tunnel dug from above, rescuers provided oxygen, while a second tunnel dug from below was used to physically free her.
Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella highlighted the rescue on social media, describing it as "news which fills us with hope". The survivor’s mother confirmed to AFP that her 12-year-old son is waiting for her at home.
The earthquake, which occurred at 07:34 local time on Monday near San José del Palmar in Chocó province, has killed at least 188 people. Official figures from the Association of Colombian Capital Cities (Asocapitales) indicate that 95 deaths occurred in Cali and 79 in Pereira. Pereira, situated in the country’s coffee-growing region, saw at least 92 buildings collapse.
In Cali, the situation remains critical with more than 200 people still trapped as of 16:00 local time on Tuesday, although 87 have already been rescued. The city’s mayor declared a night-time curfew and deployed soldiers to patrol worst-hit areas to ensure rescue operations can proceed safely. As of Tuesday evening, curfews were also in place in Calima and Cali from 20:00 to 06:00.
President de la Espriella declared a state of emergency on Monday evening, deploying rescue teams to Cali, Pereira, and Manizales. Seismometers near the epicentre registered shaking lasting between 90 seconds and two minutes, with over 100 aftershocks recorded since the initial tremor. Authorities continue to search for hundreds of missing persons across the affected regions.
