Colombia survivors reflect on quake terror as rescuers search rubble

Colombia earthquake rescuers search rubble as surivors reflect on disaster terror In short: Rescuers still hope to find survivors more than 48 hours after a devastating earthquake struck western Colombia, killing more than 250 people. Schools and sports arenas have been converted to temporary shelters and hospitals are overloaded. What's next? Other nations are sending aid, with El Salvador's president saying Colombia had requested assistance solely in the form of supplies. The search for survivors from a devastating earthquake in western Colombia is growing more desperate, as rescuers enter a third day of trying to retrieve people from the wreckage. Alejandro Eder, the mayor of Colombia's third-largest city, Cali, said rescue teams were still finding signs of people alive under the rubble and were racing to save them. "The next 20 hours are the most critical to find and rescue people alive," he said. "Every minute is vital." The Colombian government has declared three days of mourning for the more than 250 people known to have died. But the disaster is testing the new government of President Abelardo de la Espriella, who was sworn in only days before the earthquake hit. Yesterday, he said around 200 people remained missing, but a civilian-run database has put the number at more than 4,000. There is concern about where swathes of displaced Colombians will go. Schools and sports arenas have been converted to temporary shelters in the worst-hit regions. In Pereira, the hard-hit city in the foothills of the Andes, Juliana Maya stood in front of the rubble that was once her bakery, Las Delicias de Mauro. When the earthquake hit, she and more than a dozen co-workers were inside. "It started to shake back and forth. We immediately went outside, and everything around the bakery started to fall," she said. "At one point the entire bakery collapsed, too." Her family's home was part of the same building. "I have my mother-in-law, who is elderly, and my father-in-law, who is hospitalised," she said. "They have absolutely nothing … they are elderly and we don't have a place to put them." Comprehending a new reality Walter Arroyave was in his apartment in Pereira when the earthquake struck. His wife and daughter had already left for work and school, so he was alone. "First, I took cover in the doorway of the apartment," he said. "But then, I don't know — anxiety, or — I don't know… it led me to go down and leave the apartment." Mr Arroyave said he had never experienced anything so frightening and horrible. "I went to my mum and dad's house. I checked that they were OK, but then when I tried to reach my wife, she wouldn't answer, wouldn't answer, wouldn't answer. I started to panic terribly." The roads were choked with motorcycles and cars, and power outages had cut the traffic lights. It took two and a half hours for him to hear through others that his wife was safe and had been to his daughter's school. Now he is trying to comprehend his city's new reality. "You see earthquake news, but you never imagine that it's going to happen to you, to your family, to people you know," he said. 'Receiving care in a hallway' Further south in Cali, a city of 2 million people, numerous buildings have been flattened. People have formed human chains, passing chunks of concrete and wreckage, to help clear the sites of collapsed buildings. Bogotá fire department official Camilo Cano, who is in Cali, said more than 48 hours later, the rescue efforts were focusing on the removal of debris. "And we are still continuing to try to find victims alive at this moment," he said. "We still have hope until at least four days after the earthquake have passed." Cali resident Abraham Gutierrez had admitted his mother to a hospital clinic the day before the earthquake. She has mobility issues stemming from cancer. After the earthquake, he spent several distressing hours trying to find out if she was still alive. But now he is not sure how she will continue to receive her medical care, with health facilities completely overwhelmed and the city's largest public hospital sustaining considerable damage. "They had to evacuate her … she is receiving care in a hallway, because there are no emergency rooms actually available," Mr Gutierrez said. "There is no real emergency care available in the main hospitals." Aid groups pivot Pereira is part of Colombia's "Coffee Axis", a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its traditional industry and unique architecture. The earthquake has impacted other cities including Quibdó, Manizales and Armenia, and disrupted roads, transportation and telecommunications. Some aid groups were already present in the coffee-growing region to support a 2016 peace accord between the Colombian government and leftist guerilla rebels. Conflicts between other armed groups in the region have persisted, particularly in the Choco area, which was badly hit by the earthquake. Now those aid groups are pivoting to disaster relief. There is also assistance flowing in from other nations around the region. The US has announced $US15.5 million ($21.9 million) in aid and is sending State Department humanitarian experts to the country. Mexico, Brazil and Ecuador have also offered help. El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele said his country was sending 100 tonnes of supplies on two cargo planes. Mr Bukele said in a post on X that the Colombian government had requested assistance solely in the form of supplies. "We have been informed that their rescue teams, medical personnel, and other emergency response units are deployed and addressing the situation, so at this time, they do not require support in the form of personnel," he wrote. "May God bless and protect Colombia." ABC/wires