Efraín Gallego does not lose faith that his brother is found alive, although when talking about him, trapped under the rubble of a building, his voice breaks and he swallows saliva until he composes himself.

"You feel anguish. Every time there is an alarm about a person alive, I have hope of finding them," Gallego tells me, excited.

His brother, 80, was buried with his wife when the Torres del Limonar building in Cali collapsed.

The building has become the symbol of the tragedy in this city, which with two million inhabitants is the third most populated in the country and which has been one of the hardest hit by the earthquake that shook Colombia this Monday.

Of the more than 180 deaths that have been recorded so far in the country, at least 95 have been registered in Cali, according to its mayor, Alejandro Éder.

On this Tuesday morning of burning sun, Torres de Limonar is a broken mountain of rubble, with mattresses, furniture and belongings peeking out from the cement.

There are rescuers and volunteers on the remains. "Silence! We are firefighters. If you hear us, shout or make any noise," the rescue forces order.

The phrase is repeated every time the teams dig deep enough to believe they may be close to a survivor.

These are the moments in which Gallego regains hope, but the seconds pass and no answers come from below.

Dozens of collapsed buildings

Torres del Limonar is one of more than 50 collapsed buildings in Cali.

It is in the south of the city, in the Capri neighborhood. It had four floors and dozens of apartments. The exact number of tenants who were inside when it collapsed is unknown.

Around, except for some cracks, the rest of the buildings seem to have been saved from suffering the same fate.

Rescuers, soldiers, volunteers, paramedics, firefighters, humanitarian workers and journalists have arrived here.

There are more than a hundred relatives waiting for news. According to Mayor Éder, on Monday night it was estimated that there would be 25 people trapped under the rubble.

Given this, the municipal government decreed a night curfew to speed up rescue efforts.

The night passed. The excavations continue. A rescuer on the ground told me that they had managed to pull about 10 people alive from the collapse.

Reports in the local press, such as one from Blu Pacífico radio, spoke of six survivors, including a months-old baby.

In the midst of the tragedy and waiting for a more conclusive official compendium, the figures tend to be more approximations than definitive data.

"What I can tell you is that right now there are at least two alive detected. Tunnels are being made to get them out. They have to free one's leg," rescuer James Velasco tells me.

The worst earthquake of this century

The 7.4 magnitude earthquake that hit Colombia this Monday, August 10, is “the worst” recorded in this century, according to the National Geological Service.

With the epicenter in San José del Palmar, in the Chocó region, the earthquake also left destruction and death in northwestern regions and in the Coffee Region.

In Cali, around the remains of the Torres del Limonar, and unlike Gallego, many neighbors choose not to speak. They are visibly affected.

Some sleep exhausted on the floor or a sofa on the street. Others group together to accompany each other under the shade.

The hours become longer, longer and longer, and the anguish grows.

Given this, Velasco offers hope. “In the past I have participated in operations where we have removed survivors after seven days trapped,” he says.

"Whoever is there to survive, survives. Nothing is written."

“I wanted to help from the beginning”

Despite his anguish, Gallego has words to recognize the citizen's work.

"You have to name all the people who have come to help with water, supplies, tools, equipment; there is a lot of collaboration. Volunteers are abundant," he says.

Alejandro Mahecha, 19, is one of those volunteers. He decided to come attend after spending the night safely with his family and overcoming the initial shock.

"I wanted to help from the beginning. The earthquake affected my city and the houses of acquaintances. I came to this point because we hear a lot about this building and the need to help here."

Together with several friends, Mahecha collaborates to remove debris, bring water to rescuers, and clear the street to facilitate evacuation efforts.

In the background you can hear hammers and saws creating escape routes through the destruction.

They are only interrupted when those present raise their arms.

That means we must all remain silent. Gallego waits. This time there was no news from his brother either.

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