Colombia quake death toll rises to 329, with 247 still missing

Colombia’s president says the death toll from the country’s recent earthquake has risen to 329, with 247 others still missing. He added that the disaster has also left 4,600 people injured and affected hundreds of thousands more.

Abelardo de la Espriella said on Saturday that a total of 154,014 families and 314,751 people have been affected by the quake’s aftermath. He described it as Colombia’s biggest natural disaster in decades.

According to Colombian officials, there are also 10 active fires in the country at the same time. The Colombian president said he had ordered an investigation into the cause of the fires and whether any criminal act was involved.

The 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck Colombia on August 10. According to reports, more than 30,000 homes were completely destroyed in the disaster and a number of roads were also damaged, making access to victims more difficult.