As earthquake rescue efforts across western Colombia continued on Tuesday, UN agencies said they stood ready to help “with everything we’ve got” should the authorities request international assistance.
Official figures indicate that 1,495 people have been injured and at least 126 have died. Monday’s 7.4-magnitude quake flattened homes and buildings across the west of the country and triggered landslides, said Jens Laerke of the UN’s aid coordination office, OCHA. “For the moment, there has not been any official request for international assistance — that is just as I speak, that may, of course, change,” he said. “Should that happen, the entire UN system and, of course, humanitarians in particular, stand ready to support with everything we’ve got.”
Nearly 5,000 homes have been damaged and 387 destroyed, officials say. Sixty-one buildings have collapsed, along with more than 550 educational institutions, while 24 health facilities and more than 350 community centres have also been affected so far.
According to the Colombian Geological Service, the quake’s epicentre marked the largest seismic event recorded in the country this century.
