Bogota, Aug 12 (V7N)- The death toll from a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake in Colombia has surpassed 250 as rescue teams continue searching through the rubble in the country’s western region, hoping to find survivors.

According to Reuters, at least 254 people had died by Tuesday morning, citing local authorities. Among them, 101 were killed in Pereira, while 95 died in Cali, the country’s third-largest city.

The earthquake struck early Monday local time and was one of the strongest to hit Colombia in decades. It caused widespread destruction across the country’s coffee-growing region, with homes, schools, residential buildings and health facilities damaged or completely collapsed.

Authorities recorded around 100 aftershocks by Tuesday morning. In the worst-affected areas, rescue workers worked through the night using cranes, excavators and their hands to remove concrete and twisted metal in search of people trapped beneath the debris.

Relatives of missing people have gathered around collapsed buildings in Cali and Pereira, waiting anxiously for news. Local residents and volunteers have also joined rescue efforts, helping workers clear debris and search for survivors.

The earthquake has severely affected hospitals and communications. In Cali, several upper floors of a hospital collapsed, including part of a section used for treating children. Hospital director Irene Torres Castro said some patients were trapped. Around 600 patients had to be treated in streets filled with debris.

The city’s morgue has also reached capacity, according to Cali public health official German Escobar.

Six airports—including those in Quibdo, Pereira, Manizales, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura—have been closed. Several roads were also damaged.

Electricity, water, medical services and telephone communications remain disrupted in some areas, particularly in Choco near the earthquake’s epicenter, making rescue and relief operations more difficult.

The UN humanitarian agency OCHA said around 5,000 homes had been damaged, with many buildings collapsing and hundreds of residential structures destroyed.

Meanwhile, the United States has announced $15.5 million in emergency assistance for shelter, food, protection and damage assessment. The Inter-American Development Bank has also made $50 million available for immediate reconstruction assistance at the request of the Colombian government.

Officials warned that the full scale of the disaster may take several more days to assess, as communications remain disrupted in several affected areas. The final death toll could therefore rise further.

END/SMA/AJ