Pereira Residents Begin Long-Term Reconstruction Efforts Following 7.4 Magnitude Earthquake

One month after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck Colombia, the city of Pereira has begun the process of recovering from the damage. The tremor left the capital of Risaralda as the most affected city in the country, with 109 people dead and over 1,000 homes impacted. Reconstruction efforts are currently underway, with nearly 170,000 tons of debris removed and over 50% of the interventions are complete. The city faces a significant economic challenge, as 65% of commerce suffered some kind of impact and more than 50,000 jobs are at risk. To address this, the local government is executing $8.5 billion in economic support for merchants and workers. Preliminary projections suggest that full reconstruction of public infrastructure, healthcare facilities, and the economic fabric of the city will take approximately five years and require an investment of nearly $10 billion. While many residents, such as Héctor Fabio Ospina, continue to have homes in danger of collapse, the city works to restore normalcy and protect its economic stability.

Sources

• Pulzo
  Así quedó la ciudad más devastada por el terremoto, después de la tragedia; imágenes son dolorosas
• Caracol Radio
  Un mes después del terremoto, Pereira intenta levantarse: la reconstrucción podría tardar cinco años
• El Espectador
  A la espera de la reconstrucción, Pereira se sostiene con la solidaridad de su gente
• Telemedellín
  A un mes del terremoto, Pereira muestra sus heridas entre edificios demolidos y estructuras inhabitables

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Paywall and unreadable sources

• El Tiempo
  Entrevista | ‘Tenemos la certeza de que Pereira va a resurgir’: alcalde Mauricio Salazar a un mes del terremoto del 10 de agosto