Al Jazeera reporter details earthquake damage in Cali, Colombia

Al Jazeera’s Latin America Editor Lucia Newman reports from the rubble of a collapsed apartment building in the city of San Luis, where a 6.3‑meter‑deep earthquake struck the region at 3:15 a.m. local time on Tuesday. The tremor, which was felt across the province, caused the building’s upper floors to collapse onto the lower levels, leaving a pile of concrete and shattered glass in the street.

According to first‑hand accounts, the collapse resulted in at least 12 confirmed deaths and 34 injuries, many of whom were trapped under the debris. Rescue teams from the National Civil Protection Agency and local volunteer groups have been working around the clock to extricate survivors, with the aid of hydraulic cutters and heavy‑duty cranes. Emergency services are currently treating the wounded at a nearby field hospital, while authorities have issued a temporary evacuation order for the surrounding block due to concerns about further structural instability.

The incident has prompted an emergency meeting of provincial officials, who are coordinating with national disaster response agencies to secure additional resources. The city’s mayor has called for international assistance, noting that the scale of the damage exceeds the capacity of local emergency services. As rescue operations continue, updates will be provided on the status of survivors and the extent of the building’s damage.