Earthquake response strains Colombia's new government and rescuers
A 7.4 magnitude earthquake in Colombia has resulted in at least 181 deaths and thousands of injuries, straining the government's emergency response capabilities. Rescue teams are working against time to find survivors amidst the rubble in several major cities.
Why it matters
The disaster compounds existing humanitarian crises in Colombia, including poverty and civil conflict, complicating the delivery of aid and rescue operations.
PEREIRA, Colombia — The search for life in the rubble of Colombia's powerful earthquake grew more desperate on Wednesday as search teams pushed up against a key time threshold to locate survivors with signs of life.
The devastation has tested Colombia's new President Abelardo de la Espriella and his government as it scrambles to respond to the natural disaster and civil society as it pushes to provide aid to the vulnerable communities most affected by the quake.
By Tuesday, de la Espriella said the 7.4 magnitude earthquake had killed at least 181 people and left 2,595 more injured in the west of the country. He said at least 195 remained missing, but civilian-run databases put that number closer to 4,000.
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