Colombia Says No to Foreign Rescue Teams After Earthquake
Listen to the story
A powerful earthquake has hit Colombia, causing serious damage to buildings and homes. In one dramatic moment, a family managed to escape their house just before a landslide destroyed part of it. A landslide happens when soil and rocks suddenly slide down a hillside.
Despite the scale of the disaster, the Colombian government has rejected offers of help from international rescue teams. It has not given a detailed reason for this decision, but it suggests that officials believe local teams can manage the situation.
The city of Cali has been especially affected. Residents have not been able to sleep because they fear aftershocks — smaller earthquakes that often follow a major one and can cause more damage.
Many families in Cali are still searching for missing relatives. There is growing concern about people who have lost their homes. "People are looking for somewhere to go," said one local resident, describing the difficult situation faced by many families.
The earthquake has left the city in a state of uncertainty, with residents balancing fear for their safety and worry about loved ones. Emergency services continue to work through the affected areas, though it remains unclear how long recovery efforts will take.
Vocabulary10 words
- earthquake
- a sudden shaking of the ground
- landslide
- when rocks and soil fall fast down a hill
- rescue
- the act of saving people from danger
- aftershocks
- smaller shakes that happen after a big earthquake
- disaster
- a very bad event causing much harm
- residents
- people who live in a place
- uncertainty
- not knowing what will happen
- affected
- changed in a bad way by an event
- reject
- to say no to an offer
- emergency services
- teams like police or medics that help in urgent problems
Quiz
Answer key
1. Escape their house before a landslide 2. It rejected the offers 3. They fear aftershocks
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
A powerful _____ has hit Colombia, causing serious damage to buildings and homes.
In one dramatic moment, a family managed to escape their house just before a _____ destroyed part of it.
Despite the scale of the disaster, the Colombian government has _____ offers of help from international rescue teams.
The city of Cali has been especially affected. Residents have not been able to sleep because they fear _____.
Many families in Cali are still searching for missing _____.
"People are looking for somewhere to go," said one local _____.
The earthquake has left the city in a state of _____.
Emergency _____ continue to work through the affected areas.