A 32-year-old woman has been pulled alive from the ruins of a collapsed building in western Colombia, 36 hours after a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake devastated the region. Daniela Largo was rescued in the city of Pereira following a complex, 10-hour emergency operation.
Firefighters managed to reach her by digging a tunnel beneath four heavy concrete slabs that had trapped her. The rescue has provided a rare moment of joy amid a rising death toll, which official figures now place at least 188, with hundreds of others still missing. In Pereira, located in the country's coffee-growing heartland, 79 people are confirmed dead. This represents the second-highest casualty count in the country, surpassed only by the city of Cali, where 95 deaths have been recorded, according to the Association of Colombian Capital Cities (Asocapitales).
Largo's rescue began after a local resident heard her crying out for help from beneath the debris and alerted authorities. Once emergency workers had arrived at the site, they were able to locate Largo with the help of a small camera. The presence of four massive concrete slabs blocking the path made the extraction highly dangerous. Teams of local firefighters, joined by reinforcements from Bogotá and the national police force's disaster response unit, worked together to dig two separate tunnels. Through the first shaft, excavated from above, rescuers pumped oxygen to Largo. They then dug a second tunnel from below, which ultimately allowed them to pull her to safety.
Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella celebrated the successful rescue on social media, calling it "news which fills us with hope." Largo's mother, speaking to the AFP news agency, expressed relief, noting that her daughter's 12-year-old son was waiting for her at home.
The scale of destruction in Pereira remains severe, with at least 92 buildings completely collapsed. Asocapitales reports that 15 people are still known to be trapped under the ruins there, while another 37 remain missing. The brother of a man trapped under the rubble in the Colombian quake clings on to hope as rescue efforts continue. Meanwhile, in Cali, Colombia's third most populous city, the situation is similarly dire. More than 200 people were still trapped as of Tuesday afternoon at 16:00 local time.
In response to the crisis, Cali's mayor declared a night-time curfew and deployed soldiers to patrol the hardest-hit neighborhoods. The mayor emphasized the need to ensure rescue operations could proceed safely, adding that there was still hope of finding more survivors and that teams would do everything possible to find them. Eighty-seven people have been rescued in the city so far.
The devastating 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck on Monday morning at 07:34 local time (12:34 GMT), with its epicenter near San José del Palmar in Chocó province. Though centered in Chocó, the tremor was felt across a vast area, with seismometers near the epicenter recording shaking that lasted between 90 seconds and two minutes. The region has since been rattled by more than 100 aftershocks.
Related Articles
Meet Md. Rubel Rana
​As a core contributor to Worlddincidents.com, Rubel Rana brings a unique perspective to the world of journalism. Whether it’s deep-diving into historical trivia or covering the latest global headlines, Rubel Rana is committed to delivering high-quality, high-impact articles. Their writing blends meticulous research with a compelling voice, helping readers stay informed and curious about the world around them.