Editorial illustration of rescue workers and volunteers coordinating earthquake relief in western Colombia

زِلْزالٌ بِقُوَّةِ ٧٫٤ دَرَجاتٍ يَضْرِبُ غَرْبَ كولومبيا

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ضَرَبَ زِلْزالٌ بِقُوَّةِ ٧٫٤ دَرَجاتٍ غَرْبَ كولومبيا صَباحَ الِاثْنَيْنِ، ١٠ أَغُسْطُسَ. وَوَقَعَ مَرْكَزُ الزِّلْزالِ قُرْبَ بَلْدَةِ سانْ خوسيه دِلْ بالمار، في إِقْليمِ تشوكو. وَشَعَرَ بِهِ سُكّانُ كالي وَبيريرا وكويبْدو وَمانيثاليس، كَما شَعَرَ بِهِ نَاسٌ في الإِكْوادورِ وَبَنَما.

وَحَتّى صَباحِ الخَميسِ، ١٣ أَغُسْطُسَ، أَفادَتِ السُّلُطاتُ بِمَقْتَلِ ما لا يَقِلُّ عَنْ ٢٦٥ شَخْصًا وَإِصابَةِ نَحْوِ ٣٬٥٠٠ آخَرينَ. وَقالَتْ إِنَّ نَحْوَ ٥٠٠ شَخْصٍ ما زالوا مَفْقودينَ. وَقَدْ تَتَغَيَّرُ هذِهِ الأَرْقامُ مَعَ اسْتِمْرارِ البَحْثِ.

تَضَرَّرَتْ مِئاتُ المَباني وَالمَنازِلِ، وَانْهارَ بَعْضُها، خُصوصًا في كالي وَبيريرا. وَفي كويبْدو، خافَ كَثيرٌ مِنَ السُّكّانِ مِنْ دُخولِ بُيوتِهِمُ المُتَصَدِّعَةِ، فَناموا عِنْدَ أَقارِبِهِم أَوْ في الخَارِجِ. وَواصَلَتْ فِرَقُ الإِنْقاذِ وَالمُتَطَوِّعونَ البَحْثَ في الحُطامِ، بَيْنَما عَرْقَلَ ضَعْفُ الِاتِّصالاتِ وَالطُّرُقُ الصَّعْبَةُ وُصولَ المُساعَدَةِ إِلى بَعْضِ المَناطِقِ.

وَأَعْلَنَتِ الحُكومَةُ حالَةَ طَوارِئَ اقْتِصادِيَّةً لِتَسْريعِ تَمْويلِ الإِغاثَةِ وَإِعادَةِ الإِعْمارِ. وَقالَتْ إِنَّها سَتَطْلُبُ مُساعَداتٍ إِنْسانِيَّةً، مِثْلَ المُسْتَشْفَياتِ المَيْدانِيَّةِ وَمَوادِّ الغِذاءِ، مَعَ اسْتِمْرارِ عَمَلِ الفِرَقِ المَحَلِّيَّةِ. وَيَحْتاجُ المُتَضَرِّرونَ إِلى مَأْوًى وَماءٍ وَرِعايَةٍ طِبِّيَّةٍ وَتَقْييمٍ آمِنٍ لِلْمَباني قَبْلَ العَوْدَةِ إِلَيْها.

Show English Translation

Magnitude 7.4 Earthquake Strikes Western Colombia

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia on the morning of Monday, August 10. Its epicenter was near the town of San José del Palmar in the Chocó region. People in Cali, Pereira, Quibdó, and Manizales felt it, as did people in Ecuador and Panama.

By the morning of Thursday, August 13, authorities reported that at least 265 people had been killed and about 3,500 others injured. They said that around 500 people were still missing. These figures may change as the search continues.

Hundreds of buildings and homes were damaged, and some collapsed, especially in Cali and Pereira. In Quibdó, many residents were afraid to enter their cracked homes, so they slept with relatives or outdoors. Rescue teams and volunteers continued searching the rubble, while weak communications and difficult roads slowed aid to some areas.

The government declared an economic emergency to speed up funding for relief and reconstruction. It said it would request humanitarian assistance, such as field hospitals and food supplies, while local teams continued their work. Affected people need shelter, water, medical care, and a safe assessment of buildings before returning to them.

Key Vocabulary

Arabic Part of speech English
زِلْزالٌ noun earthquake
مَرْكَزُ الزِّلْزالِ phrase earthquake epicenter
السُّلُطاتُ noun authorities
مَفْقودينَ adjective missing
المَباني noun buildings
مُتَصَدِّعَةٍ adjective cracked; structurally damaged
فِرَقُ الإِنْقاذِ phrase rescue teams
الحُطامِ noun rubble
الإِغاثَةِ noun relief assistance
إِعادَةِ الإِعْمارِ phrase reconstruction
مَأْوًى noun shelter

Sources

  1. EL PAÍS América Colombia: La incertidumbre y el temor se apoderan de Quibdó tras el terremoto: “¿Es verdad que la casita se va a caer?”
  2. The Associated Press: Colombia’s earthquake is déjà vu for Venezuelans. The government response is anything but

This learner article is an original summary based on the sources above. The featured image is an AI-generated editorial illustration.

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