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

At the scene of the rescue, workers and volunteers hold their hands in air in a symbol for silence, allowing survivors to be heard Efraín Gallego does not lose faith that his brother will be found alive, although when he speaks about him, trapped beneath the rubble of a building, his voice breaks and he swallows hard until he regains his composure. "You feel anguish. Every time there is an alert about someone being alive, hope is reborn that we will find him," Gallego tells me emotionally. His 80-year-old brother was buried along with his wife when the Torres del Limonar building collapsed in Cali. This city in south-western Colombia is one of the hardest hit by the earthquake. The building has become a symbol of the tragedy in the country's third most populous city.

Missing media or need the complete publisher report? Open BBC World

Scoop News DeskTorres del Limonar · Published Tuesday, August 11, 2026 at 9:34 PM UTCUpdated Wednesday, August 12, 2026 at 8:16 PM UTC

Scoop News reporting summary

The text below was supplied by the Scoop Newsroom app. Third-party reporting is attributed in the source panel.

According to Mayor Alejandro Éder, there are at least 95 dead. Rescuers scramble for survivors with 180 dead in Colombia earthquake Watch our pick of standout clips from across the BBC Woman assaulted by double murderer says nightmare became 'real life' when police let him attack again Summer 2026 on course to be UK's hottest on record, says Met Office Police chiefs call for PM to prevent early release of PC Harper's killers Eclipse chasers scramble for glasses as stocks run low 'I paid £400 for a Prada bag on Vinted - only to find it was fake' Amanda Knox comedy show 'sincere' but 'just not very funny' Call with No 10 gives us hope, PC Harper's mother says Gap between children's swimming skills revealed. Alejandro Mahecha arrived to help from the morning when the building collapsed Together with several friends, Mahecha helps remove rubble, bring water to rescuers, and clear the street to facilitate evacuation efforts.

Breaking news moves fast. Follow @Will466513 on X for breaking news alerts. Follow on X →

Story timeline