Colombia Declares Three-Day National Mourning Period Following Deadly Earthquake

The Colombian government declared a three-day national mourning period on the 12th (local time) to honor the victims of the strong earthquake that struck the country's western region.

According to foreign media outlets including AFP and Reuters, the Colombian government stated that it has instructed government offices and overseas diplomatic missions to fly flags at half-staff to pay tribute to the victims.

Previously, Reuters reported the previous day that the death toll from the magnitude 7.4 earthquake, which struck the San Jose del Palmar area in the western Pacific coastal department of Choco on the morning of the 10th, had been counted at 250.

However, Colombian authorities later corrected the death toll to 216 after stating there was an error in the casualty count for the city of Cali, AFP reported.

Nevertheless, given that many missing persons remain buried under collapsed buildings, the death toll is widely expected to rise.

Newly inaugurated Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella stated that there are at least 195 missing persons, but statistics regarding the missing remain inconsistent, with unofficial estimates suggesting the number is approaching 4,000.

Rescue workers have been working through the night to save as many survivors as possible within the so-called golden time.

The 48 to 72 hours following an earthquake are widely considered the golden time to rescue people buried alive.

After this window, the chances of survival without a water supply drop sharply.

However, more than 70 aftershocks following the magnitude 7.4 earthquake have continued to make on-site rescue operations even more difficult.

Amid these challenging field conditions, reports of survivors being rescued have also continued.

In Pereira, a 32-year-old woman was pulled from the rubble on the same day after a 12-hour rescue operation, AFP reported.

The situation is being exacerbated by the fact that Choco department, where the damage from this earthquake is concentrated, is an impoverished and isolated administrative district.

Much of Choco is mountainous jungle, meaning that apart from the capital city of Quibdo, the vast majority of villages lack even basic road networks.

Due to distance and transportation issues, the central government's reach has been limited, making the area known for strong influence by armed groups.

President de la Espriella has been assessed as using this earthquake as a lever to highlight his political message and unite national public sentiment.

"Choco will not become a forgotten land," he said, adding, "We will mobilize rescue workers, search dogs, and technicians, as well as military and police forces."

The South Korean government plans to provide 1 million USD (approx. 1.416 billion KRW) in humanitarian aid to support recovery efforts from the earthquake in Colombia.

This assistance is scheduled to be delivered through international organizations operating locally.

The United States announced it will provide more than 15 million USD (approx. 21.25 billion KRW) in aid, while Mexico stated it is ready to deploy hundreds of search and medical personnel along with medical supplies and equipment.

Neighboring El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele also announced that he will send two aircraft carrying emergency rescue workers and 100 tons of relief supplies.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.