Woman pulled alive from rubble 36 hours after Colombia quake
Woman Pulled Alive from Rubble 36 Hours After Colombia Earthquake
Ninoda.com – Rescue workers in Colombia have achieved a remarkable feat as a woman pulled alive from rubble 36 hours after a devastating 7.4-magnitude earthquake. Daniela Largo, a 32-year-old resident of Pereira, was freed from beneath a collapsed building following an intensive 10-hour rescue operation. Firefighters successfully reached her by digging a tunnel through four heavy concrete slabs that had buried her. The emotional moment was captured as rescuers carried Largo, wrapped in a blue sheet, to a waiting ambulance.
The earthquake, which struck at 07:34 local time (12:34 GMT) on Monday, had its epicentre near the village of San José del Palmar in Chocó province. Seismometers closest to the epicentre recorded shaking that lasted between 90 seconds and two minutes. More than 100 aftershocks have been registered since the initial tremor, keeping communities on edge as recovery efforts continue across western Colombia.
Rescue Operation Details
Once emergency workers arrived at the disaster site, they located Largo with the assistance of a small camera. However, the rescue proved challenging due to the weight of four concrete slabs blocking access. Local firefighters, supported by colleagues deployed from Bogotá and the national police disaster response team, had to excavate two separate tunnels to reach the trapped woman. Through one opening dug from above, rescuers were able to provide Largo with oxygen. It was only through a second tunnel, excavated from below, that they could finally free her.
Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella celebrated her rescue on social media, describing it as “news which fills us with hope.”
Largo’s mother shared that “at home, her 12-year-old son is waiting for her.” According to AFP news agency, a local resident had heard her daughter cry out for help from beneath the rubble, alerting authorities to her location. This crucial information helped rescue teams focus their efforts on the correct area of the collapsed building.
Aftermath and Recovery Efforts
Official figures indicate that at least 188 people have died in the earthquake, with hundreds still missing. In Pereira, Colombia’s coffee-growing region, 79 people are confirmed dead—the second-highest toll after Cali, where 95 fatalities have been recorded, according to the Association of Colombian Capital Cities (Asocapitales). In Pereira alone, at least 92 buildings collapsed, and 15 people remain trapped while another 37 have been reported missing.
In Cali, Colombia’s third most populous city, more than 200 people remained trapped as of 16:00 local time on Tuesday. The city’s mayor declared a night-time curfew and announced that soldiers would patrol the worst-hit areas. “We need to ensure that the rescue work can be carried out safely,” he stated, emphasizing that there was still hope of finding more survivors and that everyone would do their utmost to free those trapped.
Eighty-seven people have been rescued in Cali so far. Residents continue to search for loved ones among the shattered buildings as emergency services work around the clock. The earthquake’s impact extends beyond the immediate death toll, with thousands of families displaced and infrastructure severely damaged across multiple provinces.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long was Daniela Largo trapped before rescue? Daniela Largo was trapped for 36 hours beneath collapsed concrete slabs before being successfully pulled alive from the rubble.
What was the magnitude of the Colombia earthquake? The earthquake measured 7.4 on the Richter scale and struck at 07:34 local time on Monday morning.
How many people have died in the earthquake? At least 188 people have been confirmed dead, with Cali recording 95 fatalities and Pereira 79 deaths.
Where was the earthquake’s epicentre located? The epicentre was near the village of San José del Palmar in Chocó province, though the tremor was felt across a vast area of western Colombia.
