Colombia hurries to find earthquake survivor as death toll climbs

A couple stands amid the rubble of a collapsed house after an earthquake in Pereira, Colombia on Tuesday. Colombian volunteers and rescuers cleared rubble with their bare hands to search for survivors early after the country's strongest earthquake in a day earlier. Photo by JAIME SALDARRIAGA /AFP via Getty Images

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Colombian volunteers cleared rubble by hand through the night in the hunt for survivors from an earthquake that killed at least 181 people and levelled more than a hundred homes and office buildings.

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The quake struck several cities across Colombia’s coffee region and Pacific belt at 7:34 am (1234 GMT) Monday, toppling structures, swaying towers and tossing roof tiles to the ground.

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Pereira, a city of half a million people, was the hardest hit.

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Throughout the night, residents navigated blacked-out streets with torches.

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Volunteers searched the ruins of a six-story building of shops and offices where two girls were believed to be trapped.

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“It’s so sad to see the whole city like this, knowing that there may still be people alive under there,” said Juana Marin, 25, who joined dozens of volunteers clearing rubble by hand.

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This was Colombia’s strongest earthquake in a century, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, and one of its deadliest natural disasters in years.

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In a joint statement, the mayors of major affected cities said at least 181 had been killed, and more than 1,300 people had been injured.

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Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella — just days into the job — declared a state of emergency and vowed a concerted rescue effort.

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‘Someone whistled back’

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In Cali, volunteers quickly went to work with picks, basic tools and their own hands to try to find survivors.

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Rescuers formed human chains to remove bricks and masonry, stopping every few minutes to listen for signs of life from those trapped below.

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Andres Felipe Mejia was among those who joined a makeshift crew.

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“We are trying to get everyone out alive,” he told AFP.

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“One of the rescuers asked anyone trapped to whistle, and someone whistled back,” he said near a pancaked building.

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“They pulled out a man and a baby, but the wife is still in there.”

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“A lot of people have come, with supplies, with food, helping the firefighters, helping the people,” he said.

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A Colombian Red Cross member looks for survivors amid the rubble of a collapsed building after an earthquake in Pereira, Colombia. Photo by JAIME SALDARRIAGA /AFP via Getty Images

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Hospitals in five Colombian cities were put on red alert Monday and a nighttime curfew was declared in Cali, according to local authorities.

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“It felt like the end of the world — cars and motorcycles driving the wrong way, everyone searching for their loved ones,” said volunteer rescue worker Nelson Moreno.

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‘Overwhelming’ 

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Colombian pop megastar Shakira led the calls for unity.

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“All my strength and love to my homeland. Let’s hold each other tight,” she said.

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At least six local airports suspended operations, the civil aeronautics agency said.

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Tattoo artist Andres Hernandez said he was worried about his family and friends, adding that he would stay awake because structures around him were “on the verge of collapsing.”