Bogotá (EFE).- Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella reported on Wednesday that the death toll from Monday’s earthquake rose to 265, with 3,494 injured and 496 missing. De la Espriella declared an “economic emergency” to address the crisis caused by the earthquake.
«We have 25,872 affected families and 53,816 affected individuals. Unfortunately, there are 265 deaths, 3,494 injuries, and the number of missing individuals has alarmingly risen to 496,» De la Espriella said in a statement to the media at the Palacio de San Carlos, the former Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in Bogotá.
The president confirmed that the government’s efforts are primarily focused on locating the missing and noted that they are mobilizing all available resources and drawing on international aid that has begun to arrive in Colombia.
The earthquake has also destroyed 11,347 homes and damaged 53,526 others, as well as 140 buildings, 1,819 schools, and 631 community centers, according to the latest report from the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD).
Declaration of an ‘economic emergency’
«I am informing the nation: I have decided to invoke the economic emergency mechanism, as provided for in the Constitution, to appropriately address the crisis,” stated De la Espriella. He explained that the measure will create a “miracle fund” to allocate resources toward rebuilding hospitals, schools, buildings, roads, and airports affected by the earthquake.
The president explained that the government and its economic team are organizing temporary relief measures for affected families. These measures include paying utility bills, providing rental subsidies for those who lost their homes, offering tax and financial relief, providing economic aid to the most vulnerable families, and supporting affected merchants and small business owners.
«The impact is enormous and requires great determination and political will on the part of the government,» De la Espriella stated, adding that the tragedy comes at a time of «fiscal crisis» for Colombia.
According to the Colombian Geological Service, the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.4 and had its epicenter near San José del Palmar in Chocó, one of the country’s most neglected departments. The earthquake has left 53,816 people affected so far. EFE
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