BOGOTA, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from Monday's 7.4-magnitude earthquake in Colombia has risen to 181, with 1,310 others injured, the Colombian Association of Capital Cities, or Asocapitales, said Tuesday.
In a statement, the organization said 153 buildings had collapsed in capital cities across the country, while six airports remain closed because of the quake.
Asocapitales said search and rescue operations continue, along with damage and needs assessments, to determine the full impact of the emergency and coordinate the institutional response.
The organization has also launched an emergency campaign to channel donations to affected families and set up collection centers in Quibdo, Pereira, Manizales, Bogota, Medellin, Barranquilla, Cali and Ibague.
Andres Santamaria, executive director of Asocapitales, told local media that mayors of the affected cities were working in coordination with national authorities to respond to the emergency.
He said the organization will launch a platform to help consolidate information on the number of missing people, warning that casualty figures will likely keep rising given the magnitude of the quake.
Rescue teams from different regions of the country continue operations to locate people still missing under the rubble. ■
