Efraín Gallego waits at the collapsed Torres del Limonar building in Cali, clinging to hope that his brother — buried with his wife — can be rescued after a magnitude-7.4 quake on 10 August. Rescue teams and volunteers continue painstaking searches amid chaotic and evolving reports; local authorities said at least 95 died in Cali while national counts later reached about 180. Rescuers have pulled several survivors from the rubble and detected at least two more alive, as tunnelling operations press on.
‘Waiting on the Rubble’: Brother Clings to Hope as Rescuers Search Torres del Limonar in Cali After 7.4 Quake
Anguish of Colombian brother at rubble of building being searched for earthquake survivors
Efraín Gallego refuses to give up hope that his brother is still alive, even as he waits at the shattered site of the Torres del Limonar building in Cali. Each time rescue teams call for silence in case a survivor answers, Gallego's voice cracks and he swallows hard, looking skyward for a sign.
Rescue Scene at Torres del Limonar
Under the fierce morning sun, the four-storey building looks like a broken mountain of concrete and personal belongings: mattresses, furniture and household items protrude from slabs and twisted rebar. The collapse has become a stark emblem of the disaster in Colombia’s third-largest city.
Rescuers, volunteers, firefighters, paramedics, military personnel, humanitarian workers and journalists swarm the site. At intervals teams call out "Silence! We are firefighters. If you can hear us, shout or make any noise," a plea repeated whenever excavators or dig teams reach depths where someone might still be alive.
Lives Buried, Lives Saved
Gallego’s 80-year-old brother and his wife were buried when the Torres del Limonar fell. Around 100 people and relatives linger at the scene awaiting news. Mayor Alejandro Éder reported at least 95 deaths in Cali; national tallies later put the overall death toll across Colombia at roughly 180 after the magnitude-7.4 quake on 10 August — the strongest to hit the country this century, according to the National Geological Service.
Torres del Limonar is one of more than 50 buildings reported to have collapsed in Cali. The exact number of residents inside the block when it collapsed remains unknown. Local media and rescuers have given varying counts: a rescuer at the scene said about 10 people had been pulled out alive since the collapse, while other reports mentioned six survivors earlier, including an infant. Chaos and shifting reports are common in fast-moving rescue situations.
Active Search Operations
Rescuer James Velasco told reporters: "What I can tell you is that right now there are at least two people detected alive. Tunnels are being made to get them out. One of them has to have his leg freed." He added that past operations have seen survivors extracted after several days underground: "In the past I have participated in operations where we have pulled out survivors after seven days trapped. Those who are meant to survive, survive. Nothing is written."
Community Response
Despite his anguish, Gallego praised the flood of ordinary citizens who brought water, supplies, tools and labor. Volunteers like 19-year-old Alejandro Mahecha have been clearing debris, handing water to rescuers and helping keep access routes open. Hammers and saws repeatedly create new corridors through the wreckage; work halts only when rescuers signal silence to listen for any faint response from below.
Ongoing Uncertainty
Hours stretch on and hope is renewed and dashed repeatedly. For families like Gallego’s, the waiting is a relentless cycle of dread and faith. Authorities continue recovery and search operations across the affected regions, while communities rally to support survivors and the injured.
Key fact: The 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck on 10 August and caused widespread destruction across Cali and other regions such as Chocó, leaving dozens of collapsed buildings and hundreds of casualties nationwide.
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