Anguish of Colombian brother at rubble of building being searched for earthquake survivors

What the report says

BBC Mundo reported from the collapsed Torres del Limonar apartment block in Cali, southwestern Colombia, where rescue teams continued searching for survivors after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake hit the country on Monday, 10 August. The building, in the Capri neighbourhood, became one of the most visible symbols of the destruction in a city of more than two million people, with Mayor Alejandro Éder saying at least 95 people had died in Cali and that about 25 people were believed trapped under the rubble as of Monday night.

Among those waiting at the site was Efraín Gallego, whose 80-year-old brother and sister-in-law were buried when the four-storey building collapsed. He described renewed hope each time rescuers thought they might hear signs of life, while workers and volunteers repeatedly called for silence so trapped people could respond. Rescue personnel told BBC Mundo that at least two people had been detected alive and that tunnels were being dug to reach them.

The scene drew firefighters, military personnel, paramedics, humanitarian workers and dozens of volunteers, some helping clear debris or deliver water and tools. Authorities imposed a nighttime curfew to speed the operation. The BBC noted that exact casualty and survivor figures remained uncertain amid the chaos, but the collapse has underscored the scale of the quake’s damage in Cali and other parts of Colombia, including Chocó.