More than 60 dead and about a thousand injured in the Valley due to the 7.4 magnitude earthquake: in 40 of the 42 municipalities, eight children died.

The hospital network and the department of Valle del Cauca are on red alert. Cali is among the cities most affected by the earthquake on August 10. Photo: Samir Rojas After the 7.4 magnitude earthquake with its epicenter in San José del Palmar, Chocó, in Valle del Cauca, excluding Cali and Buenaventura, by 6:43 p.m. on August 10, 33 dead and 683 injured were recorded. Among the fatalities are eight children in 40 of the 42 municipalities. This was indicated by the departmental Secretary of Health, María Cristina Lesmes, from the Emergency and Urgency Regulatory Center (Crue), where authorities have been monitoring the hospital health network. “We have two hospitals with destruction over 80%, the El Águila hospital 100% destroyed; the Roldanillo hospital with 80% destruction. We have 70% of minor damages, but all services are functioning and we have an adequate response for the people of Valle del Cauca,” the official stated, who clarified that a request has been made to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) for cooperation to obtain field hospitals. Additionally, Secretary Lesmes specified that the hospital network and the department of Valle del Cauca are on red alert. “We are monitoring the referral of all patients. We are organizing exhaustive lists of the patients we have attended to in case someone is looking for a family member, and in this red alert, institutions are obliged to receive 100% of the patients who, as a result of the earthquake, require care without any barriers. Ambulances, if necessary, are managed directly by the departmental Secretary of Health to ensure a prompt response,” she explained. She also added that psychosocial support is being provided in the affected municipalities and called for calm. “The aftershocks have been minor and very deep, which is why we haven't felt them, and we need to start recovering calm. It is very important to reflect on the opportunity life has given us. It was an earthquake that could have completely destroyed the city and caused a very high number of fatalities, but compared to what could have been, the impact is minor. We will rebuild what was destroyed calmly and with confidence,” the official affirmed. Meanwhile, Cali’s Risk Management Secretary, Ricardo Peñuela, reported that the death toll from the earthquake has risen to 28. Considering this number, the total number of deaths in Valle del Cauca exceeds 60. Follow all the news about Colombia on Facebook and Twitter, or in our weekly newsletter. EL TIEMPO BULLETINS Register for our bulletins and receive news in your email according to your interests. Stay informed about what really matters to you. EL TIEMPO GOOGLE NEWS Follow us on GOOGLE NEWS. Stay always updated with the latest news, coverage, stories, and analysis directly on Google News. EL TIEMPO WHATSAPP Join El Tiempo’s channel on WhatsApp to stay up to date with the most relevant news at the moment. EL TIEMPO APP Stay informed with the EL TIEMPO app. Receive the latest news, coverage, stories, and analysis directly on your device. SUBSCRIBE TO THE DIGITAL Reliable information for you. Subscribe to EL TIEMPO and access our journalistic content unlimitedly.