Grief and a sense of abandonment settle over quake-hit communities in western Colombia
Survivors in neighborhoods flattened by the earthquake say aid has been slow to arrive, even as the national government insists it is working to reach the most remote areas.
A week after the magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia, the mood in devastated communities is one of raw grief and, for many, a feeling of abandonment. Local accounts describe frustration over delays in the distribution of aid and temporary shelter, with residents saying help has not reached them fast enough.
The numbers behind that frustration are stark. Reports put the death toll at between 265 and 300 people, with more than 3,500 wounded and nearly 10,000 homes destroyed. Hundreds of people remain missing, and search teams have acknowledged that the window for finding survivors alive is effectively closing.
National authorities say they are pressing to stabilize basic services and reach isolated communities, but the scale of destruction across at least 15 departments has stretched response capacity. The Guardian's ongoing coverage described rescuers working under the principle that every minute counts, even as machinery shifts from search to rubble removal.
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Reportado por El Paisa, nuestro corresponsal colombiano.
