Cali ends search for victims and begins rebuilding

On August 21, 2026, the city of Cali officially concluded the search, rescue, and recovery phase following the strong earthquake recorded on August 10. With the location of the last body under the rubble, the work of the rescue teams gave way to preparations for urban reconstruction and assistance to the displaced.

End of searches and official victim toll

During a press conference at the Unified Command Post (Puesto de Mando Unificado), Mayor Alejandro Eder confirmed the toll of 150 fatalities resulting from the tremor. Of the total dead, 140 bodies have already been handed over to their respective families. In addition, the teams managed to rescue 88 people alive throughout the entire emergency operation.

Situation of the injured and hospitals

The disaster left more than 1,500 people injured. Of this total, 50 remain hospitalized in the region, with some of them in a health condition considered serious. At least four patients had to undergo amputation procedures due to the severity of the injuries suffered during the earthquake.

Affected families and new housing

With the end of the rescues, the focus shifts to supporting families who lost their homes or are unable to return due to the imminent risk of structural collapse. Currently, there are more than 20,000 families registered as affected, but the expectation is that this number will rise to between 25,000 and 30,000 after the complete completion of the registration.

Government economic aid

Interior Minister Rodrigo Lara, present at the Unified Command Post alongside the mayor, reported that the national administration is working on creating so-called livelihood aid. These financial resources seek to go beyond a simple rental subsidy, adapting to the specific needs of each affected family unit.

Official planning provides for the distribution of the funds to begin as early as next week, with the intention that the money goes directly into the beneficiaries' accounts to avoid unnecessary travel. To expedite the transfers through the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (Unidad Nacional para la Gestión del Riesgo de Desastres), the government is studying changes to local regulations using an emergency decree.

With information from El Tiempo.