After the strongest earthquake in Colombia this century, the Saavedra Caicedo family endures agony. Ana María has been rescued, Sofía found dead, and the search continues for Isabella and her parents.
As Colombia grapples with the scale of the disaster following the strongest earthquake in the country this century, a magnitude 7.4 tremor that struck the western part of the nation on Monday morning, a harrowing personal drama is unfolding in the Cuarto de Legua neighborhood of Cali. The María Elvira building, located at carrera 58 # 3-138, collapsed at the moment of the ground shaking, trapping five members of the Saavedra Caicedo family. Rescuers, including firefighters from Cali (Bomberos de Cali) and civil defense units (Defensa Civil), are tirelessly searching the rubble, while relatives wait in agony for news of the missing.
Of the three triplet sisters, Ana María Saavedra Caicedo was pulled alive from the upper layers of the debris. Suffering multiple injuries, she was rushed to the Imbanaco clinic, where she managed to contact her family and report that she had survived. However, hope quickly turned to sorrow. During Tuesday, sources close to the family confirmed that the body of her sister Sofía Saavedra Caicedo was found lifeless. Her remains were transferred to the forensic department in Palmira.
All attention is now focused on the fate of the remaining family members. The third sister, Isabella Saavedra Caicedo, along with their parents, Jairo Hernán Saavedra and Victoria 'Vicky' Caicedo, are listed as missing. Authorities suspect that a relative, Diego Caycedo, may also be trapped with them in the rubble. "We were in the dining room and it collapsed; I was pulled out first," recounted Carlos Saavedra, the girls' uncle, who is now at the disaster site waiting for any information.
The rescue operation is extremely complex. According to field reports, a massive concrete beam is blocking direct access to the part of the building where the family is believed to be trapped. The community and relatives have made desperate appeals via social media, pleading for specialized equipment. They urgently need electric generators, lighting for night work, drills, angle grinders with granite-cutting discs, and megaphones to maintain protocols for listening for sounds from the rubble.
The Saavedra family's ordeal is just one of countless human tragedies that have befallen Colombia. According to the latest figures, at least 254 people have died in the earthquake, including 101 in the city of Pereira and 95 in Cali. Colombia's new president, Abelardo De La Espriella, who took office just days before the catastrophe, toured the affected areas and promised economic aid to the victims. His government, however, has not released new official casualty figures since Monday, adding to the uncertainty.
The scale of destruction is immense. Thousands of people have been left homeless, three airports remain closed, and several major highways are blocked. More than 100 aftershocks were recorded by Tuesday afternoon, further hampering rescue efforts and sowing fear among survivors. Heart-wrenching testimonies are coming in from across the country. Rosa Gonzalez, a guesthouse owner in Pereira, told Reuters how she managed to escape with her husband and ten-month-old baby: "The structure started creaking, and as soon as we ran out, the building collapsed." Influencer Jose Gallego, who experienced the earthquake at Pereira's airport, described the chaos: "There were injured people, bleeding, screaming, and trying to get in touch with their families." He added, "I crossed the city on foot; it took me two hours. The scenes were devastating."
In the forested Chocó region, numerous indigenous communities are completely cut off from the world, without electricity or basic services. "We climb trees to get an internet signal. We have children and elderly people who are still in shock. We have no health center or medical supplies," said Andres Caicedo, a community leader in Sipí. Meanwhile, in Cali, dozens of people are preparing to take shelter in a sports center, including 30 elderly individuals from a damaged nursing home, while the National Federation of Coffee Growers assesses damage to farms. At the same time, Cali's public health secretary, German Escobar, warned that the city morgue is full, and Mayor Alejandro Eder has imposed a military curfew to prevent looting.
