Anguish of Colombian brother at rubble of building being searched for earthquake survivors

Efraín Gallego stands amid the wreckage of the Torres del Limonar building in Cali, gripped by anguish as rescuers search for his brother, who remains trapped beneath the concrete. When he speaks of his sibling, his voice falters and he swallows hard before regaining his composure. “You consciousness anguish. Every clip determination is an alert astir idiosyncratic being alive, anticipation is reborn that we volition find him,” Gallego tells maine emotionally. His 80‑year‑old brother was buried alongside his wife when the structure collapsed during the earthquake. Cali, the country’s third‑most‑populous city in southwestern Colombia, has borne the brunt of the disaster. With a population exceeding two million, the city has suffered at least 95 fatalities, according to Mayor Alejandro Éder. On Tuesday morning, under a scorching sun, the Torres del Limonar site appears as a shattered mound of rubble; mattresses, furniture and personal items protrude from the broken concrete. Rescuers and volunteers gather on the debris, repeating the warning: “Silence! We are firefighters. If you tin perceive us, outcry oregon marque immoderate noise.” Each time the teams dig deep enough to suspect proximity to a survivor, the call is renewed, prompting brief spikes of hope. Those moments lift Gallego’s spirits, yet the seconds tick by without any response from below. Read the full story at BBC News →