Bogota, 26 August (H.S.):

The death toll from the devastating magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck western Colombia on August 10 has risen to 331. According to an updated report released Tuesday by the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD), 240 people remain missing, while 4,449 others have been injured.

Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency, citing the UNGRD, reported that 364 people have been rescued during ongoing relief and search operations. The earthquake has affected 494 municipalities across 16 of Colombia’s 32 departments. Official figures show that 406,273 people from 188,034 families have been affected by the disaster.

The earthquake struck at 7:34 a.m. local time on August 10. Its epicentre was located at a depth of approximately 110 kilometres near San José del Palmar in the Pacific region of Chocó department. It has been described as the most powerful earthquake to hit Colombia this century.

The disaster caused extensive damage to homes and public infrastructure across western Colombia. According to the UNGRD, 33,275 homes have been completely destroyed, while another 185,889 homes have sustained damage.

The health and education sectors have also been severely affected. Data showed that 376 healthcare facilities, 3,819 educational institutions and 4,337 community facilities were damaged.

The earthquake has also seriously disrupted transportation networks and essential services. A total of 440 roads, 74 vehicle bridges, 17 pedestrian bridges, five airports and 119 water-supply systems have been affected.

The disaster has also had an impact on animals. Authorities reported that 2,149 animals were affected, while 2,949 have been rescued.

The UNGRD clarified that the figures are preliminary. Local authorities and relief agencies are continuing to assess the extent of the damage while carrying out search, rescue and relief operations. Consequently, the number of fatalities, injuries and affected people could change as further assessments are completed.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar