Hit hard by the earthquake in western Colombia, the mayor of Cali gets to work

1 week ago 21

Search efforts continue though hopes are fading as teams dig for survivors from the 7.4 magnitude earthquake that killed more than 250 people. Transcript JUANA SUMMERS, HOST: Rescue crews continue working around the clock to reach victims of the 7.4 earthquake that struck western Colombia Monday. The death toll, now at around 265, is expected to rise as rubble is cleared from hundreds of collapsed structures. In Cali, Colombia's third largest city, authorities and the mayor are rushing to help victims. John Otis reports.ALEJANDRO EDER: (Speaking Spanish).JOHN OTIS, BYLINE: Mayor Alejandro Eder says he hasn't slept in days. Still, he makes time to thank volunteers at this food bank for earthquake victims. Since the disaster, he describes doing everything from coordinating rescue teams to monitoring traffic through neighborhoods hit hardest by the quake, and he even lets me tag along.EDER: When you're the mayor of a city, your team is set up to govern everyday life. But when something like this happens, suddenly, everything else is almost dropped and you just have to focus on the emergency.(Speaking Spanish).UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: (Speaking Spanish).OTIS: Eder, who is 50, and went t...

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