Colombia Earthquake: Rescuers Call for Silence to Detect Survivors as Survival Window Narrows

CALI, Colombia (AP) — With arms raised and fists clenched, rescue teams in this earthquake-stricken city made an urgent, desperate plea on Thursday: silence. Every passing hour reduces the chance of pulling survivors from the collapsed debris, and the rescuers needed total quiet to detect any faint cry, tap, or movement from those still trapped beneath the concrete and twisted metal.

The dramatic scene unfolded in Cali, where an earthquake reduced structures to rubble, burying an unknown number of people. Firefighters, civil defense personnel, and medical responders scrambled across unstable mounds of wreckage, pausing periodically at the command of coordinators who raised their hands for stillness. Sniffer dogs strained at their leashes, and listening devices were pressed against broken slabs, hoping to catch the slightest sign of life.

Race Against Time

Search-and-rescue experts know the grim math of such disasters: the probability of finding survivors declines steeply after the first 72 hours. By Thursday, with every passing minute, the window was closing. Families gathered just beyond the cordon, clutching each other, weeping, and holding photographs of missing relatives. Their quiet vigils mirrored the hush that rescue crews demanded. Local authorities have not released official casualty figures, but the sense of urgency was unmistakable.

One rescue coordinator, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to address the media, described the operation as “an acoustic search”—relying on tiny vibrations and sounds that could indicate a survivor’s location. “We ask everyone—no cell phones, no shouting, no machinery unless absolutely necessary. Even a cough could drown out a knock from below,” he said.

Challenges Facing Rescuers

• Structural instability: The damaged buildings remain at risk of further collapse, endangering both victims and rescuers.
• Aftershocks: Seismic tremors continue to rattle the area, repeatedly forcing teams to evacuate the rubble.
• Limited access: Blocked roads and debris have made it difficult to bring in heavy lifting equipment.
• Weather and environment: Dust, heat, and the risk of secondary disasters slow the delicate search.

The Colombian National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) has deployed specialized urban search-and-rescue teams to support local first responders. The agency is coordinating efforts while urging residents to stay away from unsafe structures and follow official evacuation orders. International offers of assistance have begun to arrive, but for now the work remains intensely local.

Earthquake experts from the U.S. Geological Survey note that Colombia sits in a seismically active region where even moderate shaking can be devastating in areas with vulnerable construction. While no specific magnitude has been confirmed for this event, the visual toll in Cali speaks for itself.

As darkness fell, generators hummed to power floodlights, and the silent pauses between rescue attempts grew heavier. Each time the call for quiet went out, the crowd held its breath. They were listening, too—listening for a miracle under the rubble.