36 Hours Under the Rubble, Then Colombia Rescue Team Gets Its Biggest Plot Twist Yet

A 32 year old woman has been rescued alive after spending 36 hours trapped beneath the rubble of a collapsed building following a powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake in western Colombia. Daniela Largo was pulled to safety in Pereira after firefighters carried out a 10 hour rescue operation. Emergency workers reached her by digging a tunnel beneath four large concrete slabs that had blocked access to her. Largo mother said a local resident heard her daughter calling for help beneath the debris. Rescue teams then used a small camera to locate her and worked carefully to reach her without further destabilising the collapsed structure. Firefighters from Pereira, colleagues deployed from Bogotá and a national police disaster response team worked together on the rescue. One tunnel was dug from above to supply Largo with oxygen, while a second tunnel was excavated from below to create a route through which she could eventually be freed. Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella welcomed the rescue, describing it as news that brought hope amid the devastation. Largo mother also highlighted the personal stakes of the rescue, saying her daughter 12 year old son was waiting for her at home. Earthquake Death Toll Reaches 188 The rescue came as Colombia continued to deal with the wider consequences of the earthquake. Official figures cited in the report put the death toll at at least 188, with hundreds of people still missing. Pereira, located in Colombia coffee growing region, has recorded at least 79 deaths, while Cali has reported 95 fatalities, according to figures from the Association of Colombian Capital Cities (Asocapitales). At least 92 buildings have collapsed in Pereira. Fifteen people are known to remain trapped there, while another 37 have been reported missing. The situation has also remained critical in Cali, Colombia's third largest city, where more than 200 people were still trapped as of 16:00 local time on Tuesday. Authorities said 87 people had been rescued in the city. Rescue Operations Continue Cali mayor imposed a night time curfew and announced that soldiers would patrol the worst affected areas. The measures were intended to help keep rescue operations safe while emergency crews continued searching for survivors. Authorities said there was still hope of finding people alive beneath the rubble and pledged to continue rescue efforts. The earthquake struck at 07:34 local time on Monday, with its epicentre near San Jose del Palmar in Choco province. Strong shaking was reported across a wide area. Seismometers close to the epicentre recorded shaking lasting between 90 seconds and two minutes. More than 100 aftershocks have subsequently been recorded, adding to the challenges faced by rescue workers and residents. A Moment of Hope Amid Devastation Daniela Largo rescue has offered a rare moment of hope as emergency teams continue dealing with widespread destruction and searching for missing people. Her survival after 36 hours beneath the rubble underscores the importance of the ongoing search-and-rescue operations, even as communities across western Colombia confront deaths, collapsed buildings and the uncertainty surrounding hundreds of missing people.