Emergency in Colombia: President Abelardo de la Espriella leads rescue efforts after 7.4 earthquake
Following the devastating 7.4 magnitude earthquake that shook much of the Colombian territory, President Abelardo de la Espriella traveled to Pereira, capital of the Risaralda department, to personally oversee relief efforts and coordinate recovery operations in one of the areas hardest hit by the natural phenomenon.
On my way to the Coffee Axis to continue leading the emergency response and join efforts in the face of the damage left by yesterday’s earthquake.
Abelardo de la Espriella, President of Colombia
Accompanied by his wife, Ana Lucía Pineda, the president held a meeting with the mayor of Pereira, Mauricio Salazar. During the meeting, material damages were assessed and the urgent needs of the population were prioritized, highlighting the arrival of specialized rescue teams to support search and rescue efforts.
Victim toll and national deployment
The situation in the country is critical. According to preliminary reports, the earthquake has claimed the lives of at least 240 people. The figures detail the regional impact as follows:
- Risaralda: 90 deaths, including victims in its capital, Pereira.
- Valle del Cauca: At least 130 deaths reported in the Cali region.
- Chocó: Area where the epicenter of the earthquake was located in the municipality of San José del Palmar.
Before his arrival in Risaralda, President De la Espriella visited the most critical areas of Cali and Quibdó, after having installed a unified command post in Bogotá to centralize the response to the catastrophe.
Crisis at the Matecaña International Airport
The infrastructure of the Matecaña International Airport has suffered significant damage, which has forced the total suspension of its commercial operations. This terminal, modernized just in 2020, became the scene of a tragedy following the partial collapse of its roof and facade, an incident that resulted in the death of three people who were in the waiting area.
Currently, aeronautical authorities have restricted access, allowing only the landing of State flights, medical missions, and humanitarian aid aircraft. The regulatory body issued a warning regarding the current situation:
- Presence of critical cracks on the landing strip.
- Disconnection of essential communication systems.
- Pending structural evaluations in the control tower.
While hundreds of workers and engineering teams continue debris removal efforts, there is no confirmed date for the commercial reopening of the airport, keeping travelers and the connectivity of the coffee region in uncertainty.
