Rescue teams in Colombia are racing against time to locate survivors following the devastating 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck the country on Monday. The latest preliminary toll stands at at least 265 dead and nearly 3,500 injured, while 496 people are missing, according to President Abelardo de la Espriegua.

The earthquake caused massive destruction in the western part of the country, particularly in Cali and the tourist region known as the “land of coffee,” leveling buildings, destroying roads, and crushing cars. Approximately 11,000 buildings have been completely or partially destroyed, while more than 25,800 families have been affected.

Announcing the new toll on Wednesday evening during a press conference in Bogotá, the president of the so-called hard-right party, Abelardo de la Espriegia, emphasized that the top priority remains locating those who are still trapped under the rubble.

“Our efforts are focused on the missing,” he said.

READ ALSO: Miracle in the rubble: Woman pulled alive 30 hours after the devastating earthquake in Colombia

Officially, at least 496 people remain missing. However, databases maintained by civil society organizations put the number at more than 4,100.

Rescue teams continue to search through the rubble in the hardest-hit cities, including Cali, Pereira, Manizales, and Quibdó, as the window of opportunity to locate survivors is narrowing.

#TrendingOnSocialMedia | Rescued alive from the rubble!

Amid the emergency caused by the earthquake that struck Colombia, a small dog was found and rescued alive from the rubble of a collapsed home in Cali.

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Several people worked carefully… pic.twitter.com/tbb2ZYLPCL

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Humanitarian organizations consider the first 48 to 72 hours after an earthquake to be critical for rescuing survivors. This time frame, however, can be extended if those trapped have access to water and food.

“Economic Emergency”

Colombia will declare a “state of economic emergency,” the country’s new President, Abelardo de la Espriegua, announced yesterday, Wednesday, to address the consequences of the devastating earthquake.

“I have decided to declare a state of economic emergency so that we can properly address this crisis,” de la Espriega stated, emphasizing a commitment to rebuilding the affected areas.

“The next 20 hours are the most critical.”

On Wednesday afternoon, Cali Mayor Alejandro Eder reported that rescue teams continue to detect signs of life beneath the rubble.

“The next 20 hours are the most critical for finding and rescuing people alive,” he emphasized.

“Every minute is vital,” he added, describing the race against time that rescuers are facing.

Amid the images of destruction, there are also moments that offer a glimmer of hope.

In Pereira, late Tuesday night, rescuers pulled Daniela Largo alive from the rubble after an extremely difficult 12-hour operation.

| EARTHQUAKE IN COLOMBIA: Drone footage shows the extent of the devastation in the La Lorena neighborhood of Pereira, one of the cities hardest hit by the 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck Colombia, leaving at least 72 dead as rescue efforts continue.…

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Rescue crews cleared a small passage through the rubble to free her hand, which had become trapped. At the same time, a doctor managed to administer intravenous fluids to stabilize her condition while the operation continued.

When she was finally freed, the young woman, wrapped in a blue blanket, was transported to an ambulance, while firefighters hugged one another and bystanders watching the rescue operation burst into applause.

Shortly afterward, however, a completely different scene unfolded in the same city. A man was pulled from a building, already dead, his body covered with a white blanket.

Thousands of people in shelters and parks

In the coffee-producing region, which is among the hardest-hit areas, authorities have converted sports facilities, schools, and other public buildings into temporary shelters for thousands of displaced people.

In Pereira and Cali, families are even sleeping in parks. Some fear aftershocks or the possible collapse of their already damaged homes, while others no longer have a home to return to.

The Colombian Geological Survey has recorded 130 aftershocks since the main quake.

“We have the most important things: a roof over our heads, food, water, and, in my case, medical care,” said 48-year-old Edith Penagos, who is staying with her teenage son in one of the white tents set up in a park in Pereira.

Seismologist and professor of geosciences at the University of the Andes, Rodrigo León Loya, estimated that the likelihood of another earthquake of similar magnitude occurring in the same area is low, though he did not rule out further seismic activity.

“Let’s remember that Colombia is full of active fault lines,” he pointed out.

“The question is not whether it can happen again. The question is when an earthquake of a similar magnitude will occur at one of Colombia’s other seismic sources,” he added.

Poverty and armed conflict hinder relief efforts

Responding to the disaster is even more difficult in areas such as Chocó, where the epicenter of the earthquake was located. Deep-seated poverty and years of armed conflict, which have caused successive waves of forced displacement for decades, significantly complicate the official response.

The true extent of the devastation in the forested regions of the country’s northwestern part remains largely unknown, as telecommunications have been cut off and many of the communities believed to have been affected are isolated and accessible only by river.

“This earthquake is compounding an already serious humanitarian situation, and there is a need for increased support for the humanitarian response,” said Giovanni Rizzo, director of the Norwegian Refugee Council in Colombia.

Many humanitarian organizations were already in Chocó, supporting the implementation of the 2016 peace agreement between the government and leftist rebels and addressing the consequences of the violence that has continued since then, involving other armed groups.

Their existing presence allowed them to immediately turn their attention to providing assistance to earthquake victims.

“We have a presence on the ground. Therefore, I believe our ability to be there, alongside the people, has increased exponentially,” said the UN coordinator in Colombia, María José Torres.

International aid is arriving in Colombia

Tons of humanitarian aid from countries in the region and international organizations began arriving in Colombia on Wednesday.

The U.S. State Department announced that disaster response teams began arriving in the country as early as Monday, while the United States has pledged more than $15 million in aid.

Mexico sent two military aircraft to Pereira, carrying 19.5 metric tons of non-perishable food and 19 members of the Mexican security forces.

The Mexican government plans to send an additional 39 metric tons of aid in the coming days, while another 255 military specialists and 20 rescue dogs are on standby to be deployed to Colombia if needed.

El Salvador’s President, Nayib Bukele, has also offered to send two aircraft carrying a total of 100 metric tons of humanitarian aid.