A BABY has been pulled alive from the rubble as dramatic new footage emerges of the devastating earthquake in Colombia.
The footage shows rescue workers digging beneath a collapsed building before carefully clearing debris to reveal a man cradling a baby in his arms.
A man and a baby boy were discovered beneath a collapsed building in Colombia Credit: Facebook/Brian Osorio Zuluaga
A group of men painstakingly worked to free the pair Credit: Facebook/Brian Osorio Zuluaga
The rescuers painstakingly freed the tiny infant from the man’s grasp and carried him to safety.
Moments earlier, Brian Osorio Zuluaga had left his office in Cali and was making his way home when he was forced to stop near the remains of a five-storey apartment complex.
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As he approached the rubble, he heard sounds coming from beneath the wreckage and called out to see if anyone was trapped inside.
“Yes, I’m here. I’m with a baby,” a man replied.
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Once free, the baby was quickly taken to a nearby hospital Credit: Facebook/Brian Osorio Zuluaga
Zuluaga and a group of men immediately began clearing the debris, but their efforts were hampered when they encountered a huge concrete slab.
“On the first attempt, we couldn’t lift it,” he told CNN.
After coordinating their movements, the men managed to clear a safe path to the trapped man and baby.
“You can see the baby’s little head there, which, at the time, looked sort of purplish because he couldn’t breathe,” Osorio said.
“Once we started removing the rubble, the baby began to … breathe, and his colour started to come back.”
The baby boy was quickly handed to a police officer, who whisked him to safety while the rescuers continued working to free the man.
Elsewhere, emergency workers continued searching through the rubble for signs of life.
Fire Chief Camilo Cano said more than 20 people had been rescued from a collapsed apartment complex at Torres del Limonar in the first 12 hours after the quake.
Hundreds of building have been left in piles of rubble following the 7.4 magnitude earthquake Credit: Reuters
Thousands have been declared missing as concerned family members desperately search for loved ones Credit: AFP
Three more survivors were later pulled from the wreckage, he said, but large crowds of volunteers initially made the search more difficult.
“We cannot concentrate and hear the calls of people under the structure,” Cano said.
Police have since imposed tighter controls, directing volunteers to specific tasks so rescuers can work more effectively.
Among those anxiously waiting for news was Marcela Perez, who said her partner’s 11-year-old daughter was trapped with her grandparents when the building collapsed.
“We have been here since Monday waiting for the girl to be rescued, and for her grandparents too,” Perez said.
“We are just waiting and trusting in God.”
Hundreds of buildings collapsed as the South American country was hit by a huge 7.4-magnitude earthquake on Monday morning – one of its largest in years.
So far, 254 people have been confirmed dead and nearly 2,600 left injured, officials said.
More than than 200 people have been declared dead Credit: AP
The death toll is expected to rise as rescue efforts continue Credit: AFP
The death toll is likely to rise, with many feared trapped under collapsed buildings.
Striking at a depth of 64 miles in Chocó province, the quake was felt across a huge area – stretching for hundreds of miles across western Colombia, as far as Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, 750 miles away, and in Ecuador and Panama.
Colombia’s President Abelardo de la Espriella said 1,000 members of the security forces have been deployed to Cali following reports of looting.
The natural disaster is proving to be an early test for the president who was only inaugurated on Friday.
On Tuesday, he flew to Pereira, accompanied by his wife, the first lady Ana Lucía Pineda, to inspect one of the worst-hit areas.
“My commitment is to each and every one of the affected families,” the president wrote on X.
“We remain on the ground, working for our people.”
US secretary of state Marco Rubio said America “stands ready to support” the country.
Thousands have been forced to relocate to temporary accommodation Credit: AP
The government has announced an immediate rent subsidy for those who have lost their homes Credit: Reuters
The US Department of State described the disaster as “devastating” and pledged £11.5million to help provide emergency shelter and supplies.
The EU is also providing funding and supporting rescue operations, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said.
The Colombian government announced an immediate emergency rent subsidy for all those who had lost their homes.
The quake follows two back-to-back 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes in Venezuela in late June.
