Colombia updates death toll following the August 10 earthquake
The Government of Colombia, through the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD), has unified its official figures regarding the impact of the earthquake that occurred on August 10. According to the most recent report, the number of fatalities rose to 312, finally aligning with the data provided by the Institute of Legal Medicine (IML).
In addition to the death toll, the official report details that 4,611 people have been injured, while search efforts continue to locate 290 citizens reported as missing. So far, emergency teams have managed to rescue 358 people alive from the rubble.
Details of the identified victims
The Institute of Legal Medicine reported that, of the 312 bodies received, 306 have already been fully identified and a large portion of them have been delivered to their families. Among the confirmed deceased, 24 minors are counted. The remains come mainly from the departments of Chocó, Caldas, Risaralda, and Valle del Cauca, areas that suffered the greatest impact of the 7.4 magnitude earthquake.
- Cali (Valle del Cauca): 144 identified victims.
- Pereira (Risaralda): 107 identified victims.
- Quibdó (Chocó): 12 identified victims.
- Other locations such as Buenaventura, Buga, Roldanillo, and Manizales complete the rest of the records.
The process of handing over the bodies is being carried out in coordination with the Office of the Attorney General of the Nation, at the corresponding offices in each municipality.
Official statement from the IML
The epicenter of the seismic movement was located in San José del Palmar, in the department of Chocó, an area bordering Valle del Cauca and Risaralda, which explains the high concentration of victims in these regions. It should be noted that, although institutions have unified their counts, there have been variations in the figures mentioned in recent public addresses by government authorities, which keeps the focus on the data verification process in the affected areas.
