The magnitude 7.4 quake—the strongest to hit Colombia this century—has killed 265 people, injured more than 3,500, and left almost 500 missing. In Pereira, crews focused on a collapsed bakery where street vendor Pablo Loaiza, trapped since Monday, may still be alive. Using vibration-detecting equipment, rescuers believed they detected signs of life. His anxious relatives gathered outside, including 16-year-old niece Sara, who said the trapped man appeared to respond when asked to knock twice and then three times, drawing applause from the crowd. "Every half hour we make everyone be quiet to see if we can find people alive”, said volunteer rescuer Johana Sanchez. "So far, three people have been pulled out alive and three dead." Cali Mayor Alejandro Eder confirmed the effort's final stage: "That doesn't mean there won't be survivors afterwards, but it is more difficult." Crews in Cali and Pereira prepared to work through a third night using bare hands, cranes, and sniffer dogs. Colombia's newly installed president Abelardo de la Espriella, declared the disaster an "economic emergency" and announced three days of national mourning, vowing to "emerge again as a country and as a society". According to official figures, more than 11,000 dwellings were destroyed, leaving thousands of families homeless. Many have spent consecutive nights outdoors, either due to damaged homes or fear of aftershocks. In the town of El Cairo, residents gathered at community kitchens while power outages persisted. "People don't want to go inside their homes… people don't know what to do”, said resident Adriana Gonzalez. In Roldanillo, Yuliana Mendez picked through the wreckage of her workplace, describing it as "starting over from scratch." In Pereira's Providencia neighborhood, lawyer Ana Paulina Crosthwaite said residents were in "a state of shock", unprepared to tell their children they must pack what they can and "start a new life." Meanwhile, many Colombians mobilized to help, bringing water, food, and supplies while long lines formed at blood donation centers. "It's about wanting to help your community, your city and your country”, said blood donor Ferney Cabrera. (Bssnews)