Woman Pulled Alive From Rubble 36 Hours After Colombia Earthquake
A 32‑year‑old woman, buried under four concrete slabs, was rescued alive 36 hours after a 7.4‑magnitude quake shook western Colombia.
The tremor, felt at 07:34 local time (12:34 GMT) on Monday, launched a 10‑hour rescue effort in Pereira. Firefighters, joined by teams from Bogotá and the national police force, dug two tunnels—one from above to supply oxygen, and a second from below to free her. Daniela Largo was carried, wrapped in a blue sheet, to a waiting ambulance.
Official figures show at least 188 deaths nationwide and hundreds missing. Pereira recorded 79 deaths, the second‑highest after Cali, where 95 people died. Fifteen people in Pereira were known to be trapped and another 37 reported missing.
Largo’s mother told AFP that a neighbour heard her daughter cry for help from beneath the rubble. The rescue was made possible by a small camera that helped locate her at the collapse site.
President Abelardo de la Espriella celebrated the event on social media, calling it “news which fills us with hope.” Largo’s mother added: “At home, her 12‑year‑old son is waiting for her.”
In Cali, the second‑most populous city, authorities declared a night‑time curfew and stationed soldiers to patrol the worst‑hit areas. Seismologists recorded shaking lasting 90–120 seconds at the epicentre near San Jose del Palmar, Chocó, with over 100 aftershocks since.
The incident highlights the ongoing challenge of extracting survivors from collapsed buildings—an effort that will continue as rescue teams scour the region for more people.
