As machinery removes rubble, hopes for survivors from Colombian quake dwindle

CALI - The noise of backhoes, cranes and bulldozers echoed across Colombia’s quake-hit cities on Aug 16 as workers laboured to remove rubble, though the chance of finding survivors was slim a week after the disaster.The Aug 10 7.4-magnitude earthquake killed nearly 300 people and destroyed thousands of buildings.At least 140 people are still missing, authorities said.In the hard-hit western city of Pereira, Andres Cano, a 30-year-old nursing student, acknowledged that the hope of locating survivors “is much lower now.”“You feel exhausted, it’s mostly mental fatigue,” he said while standing next to a group of friends wearing orange vests and helmets.The earthquake represents the first major test for the government of right-wing President Abelardo de la Espriella, who was sworn in just three