In brief
A 32‑year‑old woman was rescued alive in Pereira, Colombia, 36 hours after a powerful earthquake collapsed a building that buried her under concrete slabs. Firefighters and national police operators dug tunnels from above and below to reach her, providing oxygen before extracting her. At least 188 people died nationwide, with Cali and Pereira suffering the highest fatalities. The quake struck at 07:34 local time, registering seismic activity across the region and triggering over 100 aftershocks. President Abelardo de la Espriella hailed the rescue as a beacon of hope amid a tragic disaster.
In the city of Pereira, a 32‑year‑old woman named Daniela Largo was pulled alive from the wreckage of a collapsed building after 36 hours beneath concrete slabs, following a 7.4‑magnitude earthquake that shook western Colombia.
Firefighters, assisted by colleagues from Bogotá and the national police, dug two tunnels—one from above to supply oxygen and another from below to free her. The team worked for ten hours before successfully extracting a breathing, conscious survivor.
The quake, which struck at 07:34 local time on Monday, registered seismic activity lasting up to two minutes and has produced over 100 aftershocks.
Official figures report at least 188 deaths nationwide, with 79 in Pereira and 95 in Cali. Fifteen people remain trapped and 37 are missing in the city, and in Cali more than 200 are still trapped as of midday Tuesday.
President Abelardo de la Espriella described the rescue as “news which fills us with hope” and urged continued efforts to find other survivors.
