Mexican volunteer rescuers arrived in Cali, Colombia, on Friday to search for survivors following a magnitude-7.4 earthquake [1].
The deployment of specialized international teams highlights the scale of the disaster, which caused widespread structural collapse and a high casualty count across the region.
About 20 volunteers from the group Los Topos Azteca are currently operating in the Cuarto de Legua neighbourhood [2]. Their primary focus is the Ana Pilar building, located near the Plaza de Toros, where seven floors were reduced to rubble [1].
Reports on the death toll vary, with figures ranging from 224 to 265 people dead [4]. More than 1,000 people have been injured [4]. The Mexican team arrived on Aug. 10, the day after the quake, to assist local authorities in locating those trapped beneath the debris [1], [4].
"The Mexican rescue group Topos Azteca is already in Colombia to join the rescue efforts," a spokesperson for Los Topos Azteca said [3].
The work is physically and mentally taxing for the volunteers. Robert Dorrano, a member of Los Topos Azteca, described the psychological pressure of the operation.
"The mind can fail you," Dorrano said [1].
The team continues to sift through the ruins of the Ana Pilar building, a site where the collapse of multiple floors has complicated the search for survivors [1].
“"The mind can fail you," Dorrano said”
The involvement of Los Topos Azteca, a group renowned for their expertise in urban search and rescue, suggests that Colombian local agencies are facing significant challenges with structural collapses. The wide range in reported death tolls indicates that the full extent of the tragedy is still being assessed as rescuers navigate high-density residential areas like the Cuarto de Legua neighbourhood.
