Colombia witnessed a moment of hope in the early hours of August 12, 2026, when Daniela Largo, 32, was rescued alive from the rubble of a building in Pereira. The operation took place more than 35 hours after the strong 7.4 magnitude earthquake that shook the country on August 10, 2026. Search and rescue teams intensified the work, which has already lasted for the third day, in an attempt to find other buried people.
The rescue operation and renewed hope
The removal of Daniela Largo from the wreckage in Pereira brought relief to the family and rescue teams. His mother, Sandra Milena Perez, expressed the emotion of the moment by saying: “We were losing hope.” Rescuers and volunteers continue to work tirelessly in places like Cali and Pereira, using sniffer dogs and excavators to remove the remains of collapsed structures, in a race against the clock to locate more survivors. Pablo Cesar Ruiz, one of the volunteers, described the effort, “We are doing this with our own hands.”
On the same topic: 32-year-old woman rescued alive after 36 hours under rubble from earthquake in Colombia
Victims and the extent of destruction after the earthquake
A recent bulletin from the Association of Cities and Capitals of Colombia (Asocapitales) updated the impact of the earthquake on the country. The numbers indicate a growing and alarming scale of fatalities and injuries.
- Dead:188 people confirmed
- Injured:1,677 individuals received care
- Identifications:43 victims were identified by the Colombian Institute of Legal Medicine, which has already received 165 bodies.
In addition to human losses, infrastructure suffered severe damage, with 243 buildings collapsed. This total includes homes, hospitals, schools and other essential buildings in several cities.
More on this story: Victims of earthquake in Colombia: balance raises deaths to 273 and 377 are missing
Impact on infrastructure and the challenges of homelessness
The effects of the tremor were not limited to the capital, affecting several public services and the homes of thousands of people. Three airports – La Nubia, El Caraño and El Edén – remain with restrictions on their air operations, impacting mobility and transport. Other terminals, such as those in Cali and Buenaventura, which suspended their activities, resumed commercial flights on August 11, 2026, indicating a slow recovery.
The situation in hospitals is also critical. Part of the structure of the Hospital Universitário del Valle, in the city of Cali, gave way during the earthquake, forcing doctors to improvise care in a parking lot, amid the emergency. Thousands of families lost their homes and sought refuge in parks and temporary shelters, fearing new aftershocks that could worsen the situation. John Tabasco, 23, was camping with his young son and summed up the feeling of many: “We lost everything, but we are alive.” Survivor Beatriz Arcos also reported the drama of being trapped: “The house collapsed on us. I couldn’t get out.”
Continuous challenges and the fight against time for more survivors
The search for more people under the rubble remains intense and is a challenge for Colombian authorities and the community. Each hour that passes reduces the chances of finding more survivors, but rescue teams, with the support of volunteers, maintain hope and commitment in each search. The complexity of the terrain and the instability of the remaining structures require caution, precision and thorough coordination to avoid further accidents. This natural calamity scenario highlights the resilience of the population and the solidarity of the relief teams who face adverse conditions to mitigate the impacts of a disaster of such magnitude, which changes the lives of thousands and requires a joint and prolonged effort for reconstruction.