{"id":2537,"date":"2026-08-13T21:55:12","date_gmt":"2026-08-13T21:55:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=2537"},"modified":"2026-08-13T21:55:12","modified_gmt":"2026-08-13T21:55:12","slug":"rescuers-call-for-silence-around-earthquake-rubble-as-window-for-survival-narrows-in-colombia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=2537","title":{"rendered":"Rescuers call for silence around earthquake rubble as window for survival narrows in Colombia"},"content":{"rendered":"
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CALI, Colombia (AP) \u2014 With arms raised and fists clenched, rescuers in Colombia<\/span> called for silence Thursday as they listened for signs of life in the rubble of a deadly earthquake and raced to pull more survivors from the debris before time runs out.<\/p>\n

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The call for quiet was part of last-ditch efforts to find anyone else alive in the aftermath of the 7.4 magnitude quake that struck the South American country Monday, killing more than 270 people and leaving hundreds more missing.<\/p>\n

Aid agencies consider the first two to three days after a quake to be the prime window<\/span> for retrieving survivors. That time frame can be extended if those trapped have access to food and water.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere might be two more people alive here, and I\u2019m hopeful,\u201d rescuer Daiana Rojas told The Associated Press. \u201cWe have been hearing sounds since 2:30 a.m., so our hope remains.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Rojas and her family were unharmed by the quake, the most powerful to hit Colombia in this century. She has been working as a volunteer to help search for survivors in Cali, one of the most heavily damaged cities, along with Pereira, Manizales and Quibd\u00f3.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought that was going to be my last moment alive,\u201d she said, recalling the terror of the quake. \u201cSeeing this situation in my city breaks my heart.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rojas has witnessed two people being pulled alive from the debris, as well as the recovery of bodies.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are not a relative or a friend of mine, but it feels as they were,\u201d she said of the survivors who have been found. \u201cWhenever rescuers ask for silence, everyone stays still and tries not to move, speak or whisper. But when signs of life are found, all the teams start to applaud.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Mayor says the next 20 hours will be critical<\/h2>\n

The mayor of Cali, Alejandro Eder, told reporters Wednesday that rescue teams continue finding signs of life under the rubble and trying to save anyone within reach. \u201cThe next 20 hours are the most critical to find and rescue people alive,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

But authorities recognize that the rescue effort is entering a grim phase as search teams begin shifting toward recovering bodies.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe removal of debris begins now; more than 72 hours have passed,\u201d Milton Castrill\u00f3n, who works in the Cali mayor\u2019s office, told AP, adding that the teams now lean on \u201cmiracles from God to find survivors.\u201d<\/p>\n

The death toll rose Thursday to 273, authorities said.<\/p>\n

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