Colombia Earthquake Rescue Crews Race to Find Survivors

By Aurax Radio | August 12, 2026 | 2 min read

Search-and-rescue teams are working through collapsed buildings across western Colombia as they race to find people trapped beneath rubble after a powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake. Crews and civilians have been digging through debris in several cities, with the first 48 to 72 hours considered critical for locating survivors.

A dense group of rescue workers and volunteers wearing helmets, face masks, and gloves using hand tools to clear concrete debris off a collapsed structure.

Volunteers and emergency workers join forces atop a mountain of rubble to dig for survivors in the critical hours after the tremor.

Firefighters, soldiers, emergency personnel and civilian volunteers have been searching damaged structures in Cali, Pereira, Manizales and Quibdó, some of the areas hardest hit by Monday's earthquake. Rescue workers have used heavy equipment and other search resources to reach people buried beneath collapsed buildings, while teams have faced unstable structures and difficult conditions that can complicate efforts to remove debris safely. Authorities have also been working to determine the whereabouts of thousands of people reported missing, particularly in areas where communications and access remain limited.

The search has produced several rescues, including people pulled alive from rubble many hours after the earthquake. Emergency agencies have continued operations through the night because survivors can sometimes remain alive beyond the initial 72-hour period if they have access to air, water or other favorable conditions. In Cali, rescue workers have been cutting through debris at collapsed structures while teams elsewhere continue checking damaged buildings and responding to reports of people trapped inside.

The scale of the search remains uncertain as authorities reconcile official missing-person figures with reports collected by families and civilian groups. President Abelardo de la Espriella's government has deployed troops and emergency personnel to support rescue operations, while international assistance is being organized to supplement Colombia's response. With hundreds of buildings damaged or destroyed and remote communities still being assessed, rescue teams are expected to remain focused on locating survivors before operations increasingly shift toward recovery and emergency relief.

Sources: Associated Press, BBC, CNN, NBC News and TODAY.

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