In Colombia's Cali, brother waits anxiously as rescuers search collapsed building for survivors

An earthquake has devastated Cali, Colombia's third-largest city with more than two million residents, in the country's south-west. The collapse of the Torres del Limonar building has become one of the disaster's defining images, and Mayor Alejandro Éder has confirmed at least 95 deaths across the city.

What remains of the building is a mound of shattered concrete, with mattresses, furniture and personal belongings visible among the debris. Firefighters and volunteers periodically halt work and call for silence, asking anyone trapped beneath the rubble to make a sound if they can hear the rescuers.

Among those waiting nearby is Efraín Gallego, whose 80-year-old brother is buried under the rubble along with his wife. Gallego says every alert about a possible survivor briefly revives his hope, though the following moments of silence bring only more uncertainty. Despite the strain, he says he has not given up believing his brother will be found alive.

A rescue worker named Velasco notes that in past operations, people have been pulled out alive after as long as seven days trapped, suggesting it is too early to abandon hope.

Gallego also praised the response from ordinary residents, describing an outpouring of support from volunteers bringing water, supplies and equipment to the site. One of them, 19-year-old Alejandro Mahecha, decided to help after making sure his own family was safe overnight. He said the earthquake had affected his city and people he knows personally, and that he came to this particular site because of how much attention it had drawn.