Heroic rescue in Cali: Doctor survives 16 hours under the rubble after 7.4 earthquake
After an intense search and rescue operation that lasted 16 hours, relief agencies managed to extract doctor Diana Marcela Troncoso Escobar alive, who had been trapped in the ruins of the Torres del Limonar building in Cali. The structure collapsed as a result of the strong 7.4 magnitude earthquake that shook Colombia on August 10th.
The mayor of Cali confirmed the news that brought hope to the emergency teams: “Diana has been rescued! After hours of tireless work, our relief agencies managed to pull her from the rubble. She is now receiving priority medical attention.”
We always had contact, first verbal, then after accessing we were able to have physical contact. She was never unconscious, she was always conscious, active, and thanks to that we were able to rescue her.
Corporal Sebastián Sánchez, leader of the rescue operation
Details of a complex operation
Corporal Sebastián Sánchez, who led the maneuver in conjunction with the Bogotá Fire Department, explained that accessing the victim was a highly complex operation. The rescuers performed a vertical opening from the fifth to the second level of the building, managing to reach the healthcare professional around 9:00 p.m. the day before the final rescue.
- Victim’s status: Diana Marcela Troncoso remained conscious throughout the process, which facilitated communication and her hydration.
- Physical condition: Although she has a leg injury due to the pressure of the rubble, her general condition was reported as favorable at the time she was transferred to the medical center.
- Team achievements: With the extraction of the doctor, the number of survivors rescued from this building rises to seven people, including a three-month-old baby.
The building administration indicated that the doctor was alone in her apartment at the time of the collapse, while her relatives had left moments earlier. Search efforts continue in the structure, as emergency teams are currently working on locating and extracting another person who remains trapped, maintaining hope of finding more survivors in the disaster zone.
