Hundreds still missing in Colombia as desperation grips earthquake rescue effort

A man looks at a collapsed building following an earthquake in Pereira, Colombia, on Thursday. | REUTERS

Aug 14, 2026

CALI/PEREIRA, Colombia – Hopes of finding more survivors of the powerful earthquake that rocked Colombia early this week were fading on Thursday as rescue workers narrowed their searches, while families in the worst-hit areas waited for news of missing relatives.

In Cali, the country’s third-largest city, crews shifted from a search-and-rescue effort to debris removal at most sites, a sign ​the disaster response was entering a grimmer phase after the crucial first 72 hours.

“Unfortunately, we are reaching a point where the likelihood of finding survivors ‌is dwindling, ‌but our mission is to keep searching and find all those people who are reported missing,” David Tamayo, head of ​Colombia’s National Unit for Disaster Risk Management, said on Thursday evening.

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