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The death toll from the powerful earthquake that struck Colombia on Monday has risen to 265, President Abelardo De La Espriella said Wednesday. He added that at least 3,494 people were injured and 496 remain missing, noting that "our efforts are focused on the disappeared."
According to a damage assessment released Wednesday by the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD), the quake caused extensive damage to homes and public infrastructure, destroying 9,215 homes and damaging another 45,457.
The government has declared a national disaster situation to strengthen the mobilization and coordination of institutional capacities to address the emergency, and announced that national flags will fly at half-mast on all public buildings and Colombian diplomatic missions abroad in memory of the victims.
The 7.4-magnitude quake occurred at 7:34 a.m. local time (12:34 GMT) Monday, with its epicenter located approximately 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) east of the town of San Jose del Palmar, according to data from the U.S. Geological Survey.
The agency reported that the quake originated at a depth of 107 kilometers. A magnitude 5.0 aftershock struck at 8:18 a.m., approximately 16 kilometers west of San Jose del Palmar. The municipality, located in the Choco Department, has a population of around 4,800 and is situated at 1,288 meters above sea level.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced Wednesday that the first shipment of food has been sent to Pereira, Colombia, in response to the disaster.
During a news conference, Sheinbaum said 854 food packages, representing 19.5 tons of humanitarian aid, were sent Wednesday aboard two Mexican Air Force aircraft departing from Mexico City International Airport.
She added that additional food packages and supplies will follow, bringing the total to 2,562 food packages, or 58.5 tons of humanitarian aid, including water and medicine.
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Following the disaster, the Mexican Army formed a specialized response group for Colombia. The "Cali" Humanitarian Aid Group consists of 255 military personnel from the Army, Air Force and National Guard, along with 20 canine teams, which will be deployed to Colombia.
Mexico's Secretariat of Foreign Affairs issued a statement saying the government "deeply regrets the loss of human lives and material damage caused by this event and expresses its wishes for a speedy recovery to those who were injured," adding that it "reaffirms its humanitarian tradition and spirit of solidarity with all the peoples of Latin America and the world."
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