The death toll from the powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck western Colombia earlier this month has risen to 331, while hundreds of people remain missing, authorities said on Tuesday.
The National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) said 240 people were still missing and 4,449 had been injured, while rescue teams had pulled 364 people alive from affected areas.
More than 406,000 people from 188,034 families have been registered as affected across 494 municipalities in 16 of Colombia’s 32 departments.
The earthquake struck at 7:34am local time on August 10, with its epicentre near San Jose del Palmar in the Pacific department of Choco at a depth of around 110 kilometres. It was the strongest earthquake recorded in Colombia this century.
The disaster caused widespread destruction across western parts of the country. According to the latest assessment, 33,275 homes were completely destroyed and another 185,889 damaged.
Public infrastructure was also severely affected, with damage reported at 376 health centres, 3,819 educational facilities and 4,337 community facilities.
Authorities said 440 roads, 74 vehicle bridges, 17 pedestrian bridges, five airports and 119 water-supply systems had also been affected, disrupting transport and essential services across the region.
The UNGRD said 2,149 animals were affected by the disaster, while 2,949 had been rescued.
Officials cautioned that the figures remain preliminary and could change as local authorities and emergency agencies continue search-and-rescue operations and damage assessments.