Hope reborn in Colombia as signs of life emerge under earthquake debris

Hope reborn in Colombia as signs of life emerge under earthquake debris CALI, Colombia (AP) — Rescuers reported apparent signs of life under the rubble in two of the Colombian cities hit hardest by a massive earthquake, rekindling hopes Friday that more people could be found alive.Search and rescue teams from Venezuela, Argentina and Israel joined the search for survivors following the 7.4 magnitude quake that struck the South American nation on Monday, killing at least 287 people. At 96 hours since the temblor hit, the window for survival was narrowing Friday afternoon.The mayor of Pereira, Mauricio Salazar, told radio station FM on Friday that “contact was made with a woman who was asking for help amid the rubble” of a collapsed hotel at around 4 a.m.

He suggested other people may have survived but were still trapped.Authorities in Cali also reported apparent signs of life, saying at least three people were trapped under collapsed buildings. The search and rescue effort has been extended through Saturday.Residents who lost their homes must start over againWith the overall search for survivors winding down, Colombia faced another challenge: rebuilding a nation shattered by a disaster that affected more than 100,000 people.Tens of thousands of houses were damaged or destroyed, according to the government. Authorities have also reported damage to thousands of schools, medical facilities and community centers in more than 400 cities.“There is no place to live, we lost everything,” Ebert Jonathan Morales, 38, said Friday in a shelter in Cali.Morales is one of the 102,263 people whose lives were upended by the quake.

The government says nearly 4,000 people were injured and hundreds remain missing. Private groups estimate the number of missing is in the thousands.Morales said he, his wife and four children are trying to rebuild from scratch.“The earthquake destroyed several neighborhoods in the city. Many houses were damaged, and buildings collapsed,” he said.

“We are going to stay here until the government gives us some help, some support.”The government focuses on providing shelterThe devastation has tested Colombia’s President Abelardo de la Espriella, who was inaugurated just days before the earthquake shook the country's west. De la Espriella acknowledged Thursday night that “the situation is complex” and announced a plan to partner with private companies to rebuild, as well as subsidies for families who are homeless.“We will n…