Woman pulled alive from rubble 36 hours after Colombia quake
Rescue workers successfully freed 32-year-old Daniela Largo from beneath collapsed buildings in Pereira following a 7.4-magnitude earthquake.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- A 32-year-old woman was rescued alive after being trapped for 36 hours under rubble.
- The 7.4-magnitude quake had its epicenter in Chocó province and shook for up to two minutes.
- Official figures report at least 188 deaths nationwide with hundreds still missing.
- Colombia's president celebrated the rescue as news that fills the country with hope.
A dramatic rescue operation in Pereira, Colombia, has saved the life of 32-year-old Daniela Largo, who remained trapped beneath a collapsed building for 36 hours following a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck western Colombia. Emergency crews managed to pull her to safety after a grueling 10-hour rescue operation.
The breakthrough came after a local resident heard Largo crying out for help from beneath the debris. Emergency responders deployed a small camera to locate her position, though her rescue was severely complicated by four heavy concrete slabs blocking access to where she lay.
Local firefighters, backed by reinforcements from the capital Bogotá and the national police disaster response team, had to dig two separate tunnels. Through the top tunnel, they supplied Largo with vital oxygen, while the bottom tunnel ultimately allowed them to free her completely. She was carried away wrapped in a blue sheet toward a waiting ambulance.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
This 7.4-magnitude earthquake highlights the severe vulnerability of urban infrastructure in Colombia's western region. The successful extraction of a survivor more than a day and a half after the collapse underscores the critical effectiveness of precision tunneling and oxygen supply in urban search and rescue operations amid heavy concrete barriers.
The 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck at 07:34 local time on Monday with its epicenter near the village of San José del Palmar in Chocó province, sending tremors across a vast area. Seismometers recorded shaking that lasted between 90 seconds and two minutes, followed by more than 100 aftershocks.
"News which fills us with hope"
Abelardo de la Espriella, Colombian President
Official figures show that at least 188 people have died across the country. Cali recorded the highest death toll with 95 fatalities, followed by Pereira with 79 deaths according to Asocapitales. In Pereira alone, at least 92 buildings collapsed. Meanwhile, Cali's mayor declared a night-time curfew and deployed soldiers to patrol severely affected areas to ensure rescue operations could proceed safely.
Source: BBC World
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