Legal Action Stops Demolition of Buildings In Case There May Still Be People Alive Under Rubble
Colombian authorities are facing a painful dilemma in the aftermath of the country’s devastating Aug. 10 earthquake: How to make dangerously unstable buildings safe (or demolish buildings) without destroying evidence — or potentially endangering people who could still be trapped beneath the rubble.
The 7.4-magnitude earthquake, centered near San Jose del Palmar in Choco, devastated parts of western and central Colombia, with Cali, Pereira, Manizales, and other cities suffering major damage. By Aug. 21, the government was reporting over 300 deaths, more than 4,000 injuries, and 262 people still missing, according to CNN. Preliminary economic losses were estimated at about 30 trillion pesos (US$9.6 billion).
The situation has created an urgent conflict between rescue operations and the need to eliminate buildings that could collapse without warning.
Court orders not to demolish buildings where survivors could be trapped
A court in Barranquilla ordered authorities to suspend demolitions of earthquake-damaged structures in situations where there is a possibility that people could still be alive beneath the debris. The ruling specifically applies to Pereira, although it recognizes that structures posing an imminent risk of collapse may still have to be demolished to prevent further harm.
The ruling came after concerns that demolition work could begin before search-and-rescue teams had definitively established that nobody remained inside or underneath collapsed structures.
The issue is particularly sensitive because Colombian rescue teams have continued to find victims days after the earthquake. Reuters reported that search crews were still recovering bodies nearly a week after the disaster, while more than 200 people remained officially missing at that point.
Authorities prioritize the search for survivors
The National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) had already ordered municipalities and departments to avoid moving into a general debris-removal phase until rescue teams had exhausted the possibilities of finding survivors.
According to UNGRD, debris removal in collapsed structures was to be carried out only under strict protocols and after determining that no living person remained trapped. At the time of the order, authorities reported 287 deaths, 194 missing people, and about 186,000 people affected by the disaster.
The distinction is crucial. Demolition does not necessarily mean that authorities are simply clearing away rubble. Some buildings are so unstable that leaving them standing can itself pose a danger to residents, rescuers, and nearby structures.
This is why authorities have been forced to evaluate buildings individually, balancing structural safety against the possibility of continuing rescue operations.
Hundreds of buildings face demolition
The earthquake damaged or destroyed thousands of homes and public buildings across western Colombia. An initial national assessment reported that 172 buildings had collapsed, while more than 12,500 homes were destroyed and more than 74,000 were damaged. Schools and health centers were also heavily affected.
In Cali alone, around 200 buildings were reportedly facing possible demolition because of severe structural damage. Experts have linked the differing levels of destruction partly to soil conditions and the age and construction characteristics of individual buildings. Many vulnerable structures were built before Colombia introduced its modern seismic-resistant construction code in 1997.
For families waiting for information about missing relatives, however, the question is not simply whether a building is structurally safe. Every hour of demolition can raise fears that a potential search site could disappear before investigators know whether someone is still inside.
A race against time
The dilemma reflects one of the most difficult stages of a major earthquake response. Rescue teams must work quickly because the chances of survival generally decline as time passes, while aftershocks and unstable structures can make prolonged operations increasingly dangerous.
Colombia’s emergency agencies have therefore continued to combine specialized search-and-rescue operations with structural inspections and controlled debris removal. International and national rescue teams have worked in some of the country’s hardest-hit cities, while forensic authorities process bodies recovered from collapsed structures.
For authorities, the challenge now extends beyond rebuilding Colombia’s earthquake-damaged cities. They must determine when a dangerous building can safely be demolished — and, critically, when demolition must wait because there could still be someone beneath the rubble.