Colombia in 'final phase' of quake search as deaths rise

Colombia's earthquake rescue efforts have entered what officials called the "final phase", as rescuers searched for signs of life beneath collapsed buildings before the critical first 72 hours came to an end.

President de La Espriella promises to set up an emergency fund to help rebuild destroyed hospitals and schools.

Crews are approaching 72 hours since Monday's magnitude 7.4 quake, a period when survivors are considered most likely to be found alive beneath collapsed buildings.

World Around 3,770 people were injured and more than 9,550 homes were destroyed in the quake. Colombia's President Abelardo de la Espriella delivers a statement on recovery efforts following Monday's earthquake, which struck several major cities in western Colombia, at San Carlos Palace in Bogota, Colombia on Aug 12, 2

Rescuers searched for signs of life beneath collapsed buildings.

Colombia president vows reconstruction fund as search for quake survivors enters critical period  Reuters

COLOMBIA-QUAKE:Search for Colombia earthquake survivors enters critical window

The death toll from Monday's quake continues to rise, as rescue teams race against time to find survivors under the rubble.

In Colombia, the desperate search for survivors is entering a critical phase after the powerful earthquake that devastated parts of the country. More than 180 people are confirmed dead. But 24 hours after the quake struck, there are still remarkable moments of hope. Geoff Bennett reports.

Dogs and drones have been deployed to search for those trapped under collapsed buildings, with local authorities reporting at least 150 deaths from the nation's strongest earthquake in a decade.

The magnitude-7.4 quake collapsed buildings and caused widespread damage in the South American country.

Rescue efforts across western Colombia carried into a second day on Tuesday as emergency workers dug through collapsed buildings and flattened homes, amid expectations that the death toll from the country's most powerful earthquake in decades could rise.

The quake's epicentre was 100km deep and was felt in Equador, Panama and Venezuela.