The China Mail - Colombia scrambles to find survivors as quake kills 181

The quake struck several cities across Colombia's coffee region and Pacific belt at 7:34 am (1234 GMT) Monday, toppling structures, swaying towers and tossing roof tiles to the ground.

Pereira, a city of half a million people, was the hardest hit.

Throughout the night, residents navigated blacked-out streets with torches.

Volunteers searched the ruins of a six-story building of shops and offices where two girls were believed to be trapped.

"It's so sad to see the whole city like this, knowing that there may still be people alive under there," said Juana Marin, 25, who joined dozens of volunteers clearing rubble by hand.

This was Colombia's strongest earthquake in a century, according to the US Geological Survey, and one of its deadliest natural disasters in years.

In a joint statement, the mayors of major affected cities said at least 181 had been killed, and more than 1,300 people had been injured.

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella -- just days into the job -- declared a state of emergency and vowed a concerted rescue effort.

- 'Someone whistled back' -

In Cali, volunteers quickly went to work with picks, basic tools and their own hands to try to find survivors.

Rescuers formed human chains to remove bricks and masonry, stopping every few minutes to listen for signs of life from those trapped below.

Andres Felipe Mejia was among those who joined a makeshift crew.

"We are trying to get everyone out alive," he told AFP.

"One of the rescuers asked anyone trapped to whistle, and someone whistled back," he said near a pancaked building.

"They pulled out a man and a baby, but the wife is still in there."

"A lot of people have come, with supplies, with food, helping the firefighters, helping the people," he said.

Hospitals in five Colombian cities were put on red alert Monday and a nighttime curfew was declared in Cali, according to local authorities.

"It felt like the end of the world -- cars and motorcycles driving the wrong way, everyone searching for their loved ones," said volunteer rescue worker Nelson Moreno.

- 'Overwhelming' -

Colombian pop megastar Shakira led the calls for unity.

"All my strength and love to my homeland. Let's hold each other tight," she said.

At least six local airports suspended operations, the civil aeronautics agency said.

Tattoo artist Andres Hernandez said he was worried about his family and friends, adding that he would stay awake because structures around him were "on the verge of collapsing."

There were scenes of destruction in several cities, with furniture and fabric sandwiched between concrete walls, floors tossed and resting on irregular angles, and cabling strewn across roads.

In Manizales, the quake crumpled a tower of the city's beloved neo-Gothic cathedral.

In Quibdo, the capital of Colombia's Choco department, local official Jenny Rivas said public services and communications had been "virtually shut down."

"People ran out naked, people jumped from the second floor of their homes," Quibdo resident and law student Wilmer Cuesta said.

Dentist Julian Pena said he "ran outside carrying nothing" after feeling strong tremors and found hundreds doing the same.

"People were praying in the street. It was overwhelming," he told AFP.

"There are many buildings with gaps, with cracks. There are others that have completely collapsed."

- Overnight searches -

The quake was felt across Colombia, including the capital Bogota, where crowds rushed out into the street in their pajamas.

At a depth of 110 kilometers (68 miles), the quake was also felt in neighboring Ecuador and Panama.

Experts at the US Geological Survey said the quake was likely caused by movement along a deep fault within the Nazca tectonic plate.

The devastation comes less than two months after powerful twin quakes rattled neighboring Venezuela, killing more than 6,300 people and leaving tens of thousands homeless.

Messages of support came in from countries across the region and the world.

Pope Leo XIV is "deeply saddened" and "raises his prayers to the Lord for the prompt recovery of those affected by this tragedy," the Vatican said Tuesday.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday the United States was "closely monitoring" the situation and "stands ready to support the people of Colombia."

European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen said the EU had mobilized Copernicus, a satellite service, to help with rescue operations.

Israel, Mexico, Ecuador and France also offered assistance.

U.Feng--ThChM