Colombia earthquake: Woman rescued alive after 36 hours under rubble
A 32-year-old woman has been pulled alive from the rubble of a collapsed building in Pereira, Colombia, 36 hours after a severe earthquake struck the western part of the country. Daniela Largo was rescued early on Tuesday following a 10-hour operation by firefighters who dug a tunnel beneath four concrete slabs that had trapped her.
The 7.4-magnitude earthquake, which shook Colombia's coffee-growing region, has claimed at least 241 lives, according to official figures. More than 3,700 people have been injured, and several hundred remain missing. The rescue of Ms Largo has brought a glimmer of hope amid the devastation.
According to her mother, a local resident heard Ms Largo crying out for help from beneath the debris. Emergency crews arrived at the site and used a small camera to locate her. However, the rescue was complicated by four heavy concrete slabs that blocked access to her position.
Local firefighters, aided by colleagues deployed from the capital, Bogotá, and the national police disaster response team, dug two tunnels to reach her. Through one opening, dug from above, they were able to provide her with oxygen. It was only through a second tunnel, dug from below, that they managed to free her.
Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella celebrated the rescue on social media, calling it "news which fills us with hope." Ms Largo's mother said that her 12-year-old son was waiting for her at home.
The earthquake's toll is particularly severe in Pereira and Cali, Colombia's third most populous city. According to the Association of Colombian Capital Cities (Asocapitales), 79 people have been confirmed dead in Pereira, while 95 have died in Cali. In Pereira alone, at least 92 buildings collapsed. Fifteen people are known to be trapped, and another 37 have been reported missing.
In Cali, more than 200 people remained trapped as of 16:00 local time on Tuesday. Rescue operations continue across the affected areas, with emergency workers racing against time to locate survivors beneath the rubble.
The rescue of Ms Largo is a reminder of the human cost of the disaster and the determination of emergency teams to save lives. As the search continues, officials have urged caution amid concerns over aftershocks and unstable structures.
