Photos: Hope fades in Colombia as teams dig for earthquake survivors

Colombian rescuers are racing against time to find survivors of Monday’s powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake, as search operations stretch into a fourth day across the country’s west.

Authorities say at least 265 people have been killed and more than 3,500 injured, while close to 500 remain unaccounted for in the strongest quake to hit Colombia this century.

In the city of Pereira, crews are focusing on a collapsed bakery where they believe street vendor Pablo Loaiza may still be trapped.

Specialist teams using vibration sensors and sniffer dogs have reported intermittent signs that someone could be alive beneath the concrete.

Outside, relatives keep vigil. “My heart is about to burst out of my chest,” said his niece, 16-year-old Sara Loaiza.

Rescue workers in Cali and Pereira are digging through unstable rubble with cranes and hand tools, frequently ordering silence to listen for voices.

President Abelardo de la Espriella has declared an “economic emergency” and three days of national mourning, as thousands of people sleep outdoors in makeshift shelters and volunteers organise food, water and blood donations for the worst-hit communities.