Mexico City, Aug. 13 (dpa/GNA) – The death toll from the severe earthquake in Colombia has risen to 265, President Abelardo de la Espriella said on Wednesday.
Around 3,500 people were injured, while the official number of missing people rose to 496, he said. An unofficial online search platform, however, lists nearly 4,200 people still being sought by relatives.
Rescue workers are working under pressure in the rubble to rescue people alive before the critical 72-hour deadline. The 7.4-magnitude earthquake was the most powerful to hit the South American country in decades. It struck at 7:34 am (1234 GMT) on Monday near San José del Palmar in the Chocó region in the north-west of the country.
Cities such as Cali, Pereira and Manizales were severely affected. According to the latest official figures, 140 buildings collapsed completely and tens of thousands of homes were damaged.
More than 53,800 people have been affected by the aftermath of the earthquake.
GNA