Rescue crews are searching collapsed buildings across western Colombia after a powerful earthquake killed at least 254 people and left thousands without homes.

The 7.4-magnitude quake struck early on Monday and was the most destructive earthquake to hit Colombia this century, according to Reuters. Pereira and Cali recorded some of the highest death tolls, while communities close to the epicentre in the Pacific-facing Chocó region remained difficult to reach.

Separate reports from affected cities put the national toll at 254 on Tuesday morning. Pereira reported 101 deaths and Cali 95. The total is expected to change as rescuers enter damaged neighbourhoods and receive information from isolated settlements.

Apartment blocks, houses, schools and health centres were cracked, left leaning or reduced to rubble. Thousands of people spent the night outdoors or in temporary shelters because their homes had collapsed or remained unsafe.

Rescuers work through rubble

Emergency teams used cranes, excavators and hand tools to clear debris. Volunteers formed human chains and passed buckets of broken concrete as rescuers called for silence to listen for trapped survivors.

In Cali, crowds cheered when a woman was pulled alive from the remains of the Torres del Limonar apartment complex. Other families continued waiting for news of missing relatives.

More than 100 aftershocks had been recorded by Tuesday afternoon, increasing the danger of further collapses. Residents were urged to stay away from damaged buildings until safety assessments could be completed.

Hospitals and morgues came under severe pressure. Cali’s public-health secretary said the city morgue was full as more bodies were recovered. Curfews were imposed in some areas to keep roads open for emergency vehicles and prevent looting.

Three airports remained closed on Tuesday afternoon. Parts of the affected region lacked gas, water and electricity, while damaged highways slowed the movement of rescue personnel, medical supplies and food.

Remote Chocó communities await assistance

Indigenous and rural communities in Chocó were among the hardest to assess. Many had no power, internet connection or functioning health facilities, forcing residents to organise initial rescue and relief work themselves.

The region’s forests, rivers and limited road network make access difficult even in normal conditions. Damage from the earthquake has added to the isolation, and some communities said they had not yet received government assistance.

Colombia’s coffee-growing heartland also suffered significant damage. The National Coffee Federation began assessing affected farms and rural infrastructure, raising concern about the economic impact on families dependent on coffee production.

The government has promised economic support to people who lost their homes. The scale of reconstruction will depend on the final damage assessment, including the condition of schools, medical facilities, roads, water systems and public buildings.

Colombia lies within the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire, where tectonic plates meet. Earthquakes are a known hazard, but the scale of destruction in densely populated cities and vulnerable rural areas has made this disaster especially severe.

The first days after a major earthquake are critical for finding people alive under rubble. Rescue teams are therefore concentrating on collapsed multi-storey buildings while relief agencies try to provide shelter, clean water, food and medical assistance to survivors.

Because casualty and missing-person figures are changing rapidly, official totals must be checked again immediately before the report is published.