Colombia Earthquake Victim Rescued After Being Buried Under Rubble for 30 Hours
RIO DE JANEIRO: Rescue teams managed to pull a woman out of the rubble in Colombia on Tuesday, nearly 30 hours after the devastating earthquake struck the country, reported the German Press Agency (dpa).
The woman was trapped on the second floor of a five-storey building that collapsed.
Firefighter Santiago Sánchez told broadcaster Caracol that the rescue operation was complicated and took about 16 hours.
Rescue teams had to dig down seven or eight metres to pull the woman out.
“The woman is in good condition, considering the situation she went through,” said Sánchez.
It is believed that 24 more victims are still buried under the rubble of the building and rescue efforts are continuing.
The earthquake occurred on Monday at 7.34 am (1234 GMT) near San José del Palmar in the western province of Chocó, at a depth of approximately 103 kilometres.
President Abelardo de la Espriella said the death toll has now reached 181.
At least 2,595 people were injured in the 7.4-magnitude quake, one of the strongest to hit Colombia in decades.
De la Espriella said 195 people are officially recorded as missing.
However, an unofficial online platform that allows people to register missing family members lists more than 4,000 cases.
Disaster experts consider the first 72 hours after an earthquake as the critical period to find survivors.
BERNAMA