Colombian President De la Espriella has officially announced that the country has entered a new phase of "reconstruction" following a devastating earthquake that has severely impacted the nation. According to the Operative Information Center-OMM, the head of state addressed the nation, confirming that search and rescue operations will continue for as long as necessary.
According to the latest official data, the earthquake has directly affected more than 213,000 families, totaling 452,782 people across 497 municipalities in 16 provinces. The natural disaster has resulted in 331 fatalities, with 4,497 individuals injured and 152 people still reported missing.
The scale of the destruction is extensive, particularly regarding critical infrastructure. Reports indicate that 35,987 homes have been completely destroyed, while 198,601 others have sustained moderate to severe damage. Furthermore, the disaster has incapacitated 4,261 educational institutions, 404 health centers, 121 water supply networks, 89 bridges, and 482 road infrastructure segments.
In his address, President De la Espriella also addressed concurrent forest fires in the Tolima province. These fires have consumed over 50,000 hectares of land, 28,000 hectares of which were vital agricultural and livestock grazing areas. The President stated that there is significant evidence suggesting that a large portion of these fires were deliberately ignited by "criminal hands," adding that a thorough investigation is underway to ensure accountability.
Colombia, located in a seismically active region along the Pacific Ring of Fire, frequently faces the threat of natural disasters. This event marks a significant humanitarian challenge for the administration, which must now balance immediate emergency relief with long-term structural recovery efforts to restore essential services for the hundreds of thousands of displaced citizens.
