A 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck Colombia on August 10, killing at least 224 people, and a 20-year-old Danish woman staying with a host family in the city of Ibagué has described fearing for her life.
Ida Madsine was asleep when her host sister tore open the door and screamed, DR reports. She said her first thought was that there was a fire, and that she considered grabbing her passport and phone so she could get back to Denmark.
When her host sister pulled her into the hallway, she realized it was something else. According to DR, Madsine said the whole ground was shaking, and that it was a struggle to stay upright because walking and running were difficult. Residents from the entire building ran down into the courtyard with cats, dogs and crying children.
Some of them lay down on the ground and prayed, DR reports. Madsine and her host family ran to a palm tree and clung to it. She said she believed it was the end, but then thought that she had spent many days with people she cared about.
Madsine first discovered Colombia during an exchange stay in 2023, and has kept returning to her host family in Ibagué since then. She was there when the earthquake hit early yesterday morning local time. The epicenter was just under 100 kilometers away, per DR.
224 dead, thousands still missing
Colombian authorities have said the quake has cost 224 people their lives so far, while several thousand remain missing. The worst affected cities are Cali and Pereira, DR reports. Pereira lies just under 66 kilometers from Ibagué.
Rescue workers and relatives have been working around the clock there to locate the more than 2,000 people reported missing. They are believed to be inside the more than 1,500 homes that have been destroyed or have collapsed, according to DR.
The news agency AP spoke with Jairo Vargas, who traveled to Pereira to search for his brother. Vargas, who normally lives in Medellín, said he was certain his brother was inside a collapsed building. As reported by AP, he pointed to the saddle for his brother’s horse and his other belongings, his parked car, and the fact that the doorman had not seen him leave.
Conditions have been less severe in Ibagué, where Madsine is staying. Her own apartment complex is intact, and there are no reports of missing or dead people in the city, DR reports.
The fear of aftershocks remains. Madsine said that she and her sister have packed bags that stand ready by the door, so they can grab them if they have to run out. She added that if their lives are in danger, their own safety matters most.
