In brief
In the wake of a powerful 7.4‑magnitude earthquake that shook western Colombia, rescuers in Pereira managed to pull a 32‑year‑old woman, Daniela Largo, out of the rubble after 36 hours of entrapment. Using a camera to locate her and digging two tunnels—one from above for oxygen and one from below for extraction—firefighters, aided by teams from Bogotá and national police, finally freed her. The quake has already claimed at least 188 lives nationwide and left many residents missing, but Largo’s rescue offers a glimmer of hope and a record of heroic perseverance.
After a 7.4‑magnitude quake rattled western Colombia, rescuers in the city of Pereira pierced collapsed concrete to reach 32‑year‑old Daniela Largo, who had been trapped under rubble for 36 hours.
Using a small camera, emergency crews identified Largo’s position beneath four heavy slabs, then dug a tunnel from the top to provide oxygen and a second tunnel from below to free her from the wreckage. The operation, which spanned ten hours, ended with her being carried onto a stretcher and taken to an ambulance by firefighters wearing fluorescent helmets.
The earthquake, registered at 07:34 local time, has already claimed at least 188 lives across Colombia, with thousands of people missing. In Pereira alone, 79 fatalities have been confirmed, while 92 buildings collapsed and 15 people remain trapped. Coordinated efforts from national police and firefighters from Bogotá continued until the morning, rescuing several survivors in the city of Cali as well.
Largo’s mother, who heard her daughter call for help, said her daughter’s son, aged 12, was waiting for her at home. President Abelardo de la Espriella remarked on social media, describing the rescue as “news which fills us with hope.”
The quake’s epicentre was near San José del Palmar in Chocó province, with tremors felt from Bogotá to the Pacific coast. Seismometers recorded shaking lasting up to two minutes, and more than 100 aftershocks have occurred since the main event.
