Photos: Hope fades in Colombia as teams dig for earthquake survivors

play Live Sign upShow navigation menuNavigation menuNewsShow more news sectionsAfricaAsiaUS & CanadaLatin AmericaEuropeAsia PacificMiddle EastExplainedSportOpinionVideoMoreShow more sectionsFeaturesEconomyHuman RightsClimate CrisisInvestigationsInteractivesIn PicturesScience & TechnologyPodcastsTravelSponsored Contentplay Live Click here to searchsearchSign upIn Pictures Colombian rescuers battle time to save lives after deadly 7.4 earthquake, as hopes dwindle in search for survivors. xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoPeople wait as rescuers search for their relative amid the rubble of a collapsed building after an earthquake in Pereira, Colombia. [Luis Acosta/AFP]By AFP and APPublished On 13 Aug 202613 Aug 2026Colombian rescuers are racing against time to find survivors of Monday’s powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake, as search operations stretch into a fourth day across the country’s west. Authorities say at least 265 people have been killed and more than 3,500 injured, while close to 500 remain unaccounted for in the strongest quake to hit Colombia this century. In the city of Pereira, crews are focusing on a collapsed bakery where they believe street vendor Pablo Loaiza may still be trapped. Specialist teams using vibration sensors and sniffer dogs have reported intermittent signs that someone could be alive beneath the concrete. Outside, relatives keep vigil. “My heart is about to burst out of my chest,” said his niece, 16-year-old Sara Loaiza. Rescue workers in Cali and Pereira are digging through unstable rubble with cranes and hand tools, frequently ordering silence to listen for voices. President Abelardo de la Espriella has declared an “economic emergency” and three days of national mourning, as thousands of people sleep outdoors in makeshift shelters and volunteers organise food, water and blood donations for the worst-hit communities. Show moreAbout UsCode of EthicsTerms and ConditionsEU/EEA Regulatory NoticePrivacy PolicyCookie PolicyCookie PreferencesAccessibility StatementSitemapWork for usConnectConnectShow moreContact UsUser Accounts HelpAdvertise with usStay ConnectedNewslettersChannel FinderTV SchedulePodcastsSubmit a TipPaid Partner ContentOur ChannelsOur ChannelsShow moreAl Jazeera ArabicAl Jazeera EnglishAl Jazeera Investigative UnitAl Jazeera MubasherAl Jazeera DocumentaryAl Jazeera BalkansAJ+Our NetworkOur NetworkShow moreAl Jazeera Centre for StudiesAl Jazeera Media InstituteLearn ArabicAl Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human RightsAl Jazeera ForumAl Jazeera Hotel PartnersFollow Al Jazeera English: