Colombia Quake Kills 241; Rescue Crews Hunt Survivors

A very big earthquake shook western Colombia, and it was the strongest one the country had felt in a hundred years.

It was so powerful that homes, apartment buildings, offices and even part of a hospital fell down.

At least 241 people died and more than 1,670 were hurt.

Rescuers, soldiers and volunteers worked hard to find people stuck under the rubble, using cranes, sniffer dogs, heavy machines and even their own hands.

They made human chains to pass pieces of broken concrete, and they stopped to listen for whistles or taps from survivors.

In one rescue, a man and a baby were pulled out of a collapsed building, but the man's wife was still trapped.

Many families lost their homes and slept in parks with tents and mattresses.

The president of Colombia declared a state of emergency and promised to help families pay rent, while the United States sent $15.5 million in aid and people donated water, food and blood.

Rescue crews kept searching through the ruins, hoping to find more survivors.