Family of Missing Woman in Cali Earthquake Pleads for Continued Searches

On August 18, 2026, the family of Nancy Stella López Ríos is living the anguish of having no news of the woman since the 7.4 magnitude earthquake that hit the country on August 10. She was on the fourth floor of the Hospital Universitario del Valle, in Cali, which suffered a partial collapse, and is part of the group of officially missing people.

The drama of Nancy Stella and her partner

Nancy Stella López Ríos migrated to Cali a few months ago in search of work opportunities. On the day of the earthquake, she was with her partner, José Guillermo Roncancio, who has also not been located, on the fourth floor of the hospital structure. The family, who resides in Sincelejo, maintains hope of finding her alive.

National impact of the earthquake

Risk management authorities report 289 people deceased, 4,187 injured, and 143 missing. More than 120,328 families have been registered as displaced. According to the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD), the tragedy extends to 450 municipalities in 15 departments, which represents about a third of the country affected.

Economic losses and structural damage

The President of the Republic, Abelardo de la Espriella, reported that direct physical losses in five departments – Chocó, Valle del Cauca, Risaralda, Quindío, and Caldas – are estimated at 24.5 billion in building damage and 5.5 billion in infrastructure, according to calculations by a private firm.

Furthermore, the emergency caused the destruction of 26,945 homes and damage to more than 127,557, in addition to damage to 285 health centers and more than 2,838 educational establishments. Hundreds of roads, bridges, and other essential infrastructures were also affected.

Appeal for continuity in searches

One of Nancy Stella's children traveled to Cali to closely monitor the rescue efforts. Vanessa López, the missing woman's niece, made a public appeal to local and national authorities, including the Cali Mayor's Office and the responsible entities, not to suspend search operations among the rubble. In an interview with Blu Radio, she declared: “We respectfully ask the Government in Cali, the responsible entities, the Mayor's Office, and the rescuers not to cease search operations; there are still possibilities. These lives of the people who are among the rubble matter. Behind those who remain trapped is a family that at this moment is experiencing episodes of anguish and great anxiety.”

The families of the missing plead that heavy machinery not replace human effort until the last possibility of rescue is exhausted, while rescue teams work against the clock to remove collapsed structures.

With information from El Tiempo.