Hopes fade in Colombia as more bodies recovered days after powerful quake

Hopes ​of finding survivors of the earthquake that struck western Colombia five days ago were dwindling on Saturday, as more bodies were pulled from buildings ‌that collapsed due to the 7.4-magnitude quake that left hundreds dead or missing.

The earthquake struck just after 7:30 a.m. in San Jose del Palmar, toppling apartment buildings and damaging schools, churches, hospitals and homes from the Pacific port of Buenaventura to Colombia's coffee-growing region and major western cities.

Around 290 people have died with 140 more missing and nearly 4,000 more injured, according to official estimates late on ​Saturday. More than two-thirds of the deaths were concentrated in the cities of Cali and Pereira.

"We have only one site where there are signs of life," ​Cali fire captain Alberto Hernandez told Reuters. "At the other locations, we are unfortunately in the phase of recovering bodies."

With over 2 million ⁠inhabitants, Cali is Colombia's third-biggest city. Rescue workers continued through the morning to sift through mountains of shattered concrete, bricks and metal to find those who remain unaccounted for, ​while others were cleaning their neighborhoods armed with brooms and shovels.

Hernandez said they would likely finish recovering bodies by Sunday, after which they will begin using heavy equipment to ​clear the debris.

"Even though the 72-hour mark has passed, we're going to keep working relentlessly and without rest, as if those 70 people (still missing) were still alive," Cali Mayor Alejandro Eder told a press conference. "Miracles do happen."

However, hopes have dwindled after the deaths of people who had become national symbols.

Daniela Largo, 32, died in hospital after surviving 36 hours under the rubble, and 24-year-old Juan ​Felipe Giraldo was found dead after an intense operation at a collapsed hotel.

Giraldo, whose father spent days by the collapsed building waiting for news, had been set to get ​married on Sunday. He leaves behind a 2-year-old son.

Thousands of people gathered in the cities of Medellin and Bogota to donate food, clothing and medicine to distribution centers to areas devastated by ‌the quake.

In ⁠the city of Pereira, deep in Colombia's coffee-growing region, hundreds of people spent the night on mats or in tents at a makeshift shelter in a park, where coordinators said there was a lack of blankets, tents, hygiene products and food.

A report by the disaster management unit found that thousands of homes were destroyed by Monday's quake, leaving hundreds sleeping outdoors in shelters and waiting to find out whether damaged apartments are at risk of collapsing.

Colombia has recorded 269 aftershocks since the quake, piling on dangers for rescue workers ​and volunteers still sifting through the unstable ​rubble.