Colombia earthquake death toll surpasses 240 as search continues

The death toll from Monday's magnitude 7.4 earthquake in western Colombia has climbed past 240, authorities said, as rescue teams continue racing against time to reach people still trapped beneath collapsed buildings. A 32-year-old woman was pulled alive from the rubble on Tuesday, offering a rare moment of hope, though hundreds remain unaccounted for and the toll is widely expected to keep rising.

The disaster marks the first major crisis for newly inaugurated President Abelardo de la Espriella, who took office only last Friday. The government has so far requested international supplies rather than foreign rescue personnel, opting to coordinate the search-and-rescue effort primarily through domestic teams and resources, a decision some regional officials have questioned given the scale of the damage.

In Cali, one of the hardest-hit cities, streets remain choked with debris as families gather near flattened buildings awaiting word of missing relatives. Rescue crews across the affected region are continuing to work through the rubble despite the ongoing risk of aftershocks, which have repeatedly forced brief pauses in the search.