Quake leaves Colombian towns in ruins as Valle del Cauca counts dead

In Zarzal, around 700 homes were damaged, with some reduced to rubble. At least one person died, while emergency teams assessed homes door to door to identify residents needing shelter and supplies. Debris blocked streets, and some badly damaged buildings may have to be demolished. In Roldanillo, residents returned to damaged streets and businesses to salvage what they could. At least two people died, including councillor Juan Carlos García Castañeda, killed when part of a gym collapsed. Hundreds of homes and businesses were damaged, prompting a state of public calamity and a night-time curfew. With power and running water cut, many families slept outside or in temporary shelters. Traders sifted through the rubble for salvageable goods, facing the loss of their livelihoods. In El Cairo, a town of around 7,000 people near the epicentre, officials said about 80% of homes and public buildings were damaged or destroyed. Landslides, blocked roads and aftershocks have forced many residents into makeshift shelters. The quake, which struck on 10 August, has left communities across Valle del Cauca facing a long clean‑up and an uncertain recovery. Regional officials say at least 27 people have died in municipalities in the department outside Cali, and that more than a thousand homes have been damaged, with assessments still under way. As search‑and‑rescue operations continue in the worst‑affected towns, local leaders warn that restoring housing, services and livelihoods will take months, if not years.