The number of victims of the Colombian earthquake increased to 273 souls

JAKARTA - Rescue teams continue to race against time to find survivors of the earthquake in Colombia, while the number of deaths continues to rise as authorities carry out post-earthquake handling.

The number of deaths due to an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 in Colombia has increased to 273 people, with 40,753 families affected, 3,824 people injured, and 377 people declared missing, according to the Director of the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD), David Tamayo, Thursday, quoted from Anadolu (14/8)

The quake shook western Colombia on Monday, causing widespread damage in several cities as well as damaging homes, schools, hospitals and other vital infrastructure.

The epicenter was near San Jose del Palmar in the Choco Department; tremors were felt in other parts of the country, including Bogota, as well as neighboring countries.

Meanwhile, rescue teams continue to search for survivors among the building's ruins, while authorities warn that the chances of finding any more survivors under the rubble are getting slimmer.

Tamayo said the central government-led geospatial task force has been working with NASA and the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters to monitor the affected areas using satellite technology.

He said that 166 high-definition satellite images had been processed, while Airbus had donated very high-resolution satellite images covering the areas of Cali, Cartago, Manizales, and Pereira.

Tamayo added that the satellite data would help authorities assess the damage more accurately and guide emergency response efforts.

This disaster triggered an international response, in which a number of countries offered search and rescue assistance to support emergency response efforts.

Authorities are coordinating the deployment of foreign rescue teams; teams from Israel, Ecuador, El Salvador, and the United States are expected to assist local emergency responders.

Mexico has also offered to send a rescue brigade, although its deployment is still pending additional certification requested by Colombian authorities.

The earthquake shock put a huge strain on Colombia's emergency response agencies amid ongoing rescue operations and aid distribution in the most severely affected areas.

Authorities are also dealing with 30 forest fires in the Tolima Department, which are further straining emergency response capacity.