Sri Lanka has expressed its condolences to the people of Colombia following a devastating earthquake that caused loss of life and widespread destruction.

Minister of Foreign Vijitha Herath said Sri Lanka was “deeply saddened” by the devastation caused by the earthquake and the tragic loss of life.

In a post on X, the Foreign Minister said, “Our thoughts and prayers are with the affected families.”

He added that Sri Lanka stands in solidarity with the people and government of Colombia during the country’s hour of grief.

Meanwhile, rescue crews on Tuesday dug through mountains of rubble in western Colombia, shouting for quiet so they could listen for survivors still trapped under the buildings that collapsed in a powerful earthquake estimated to have killed at least 250 people.

The 7.4-magnitude quake, the most devastating to strike Colombia this century, tore through its coffee-growing heartland early on Monday, leaving apartment blocks, homes, schools and health centers cracked, leaning or flattened.

Separate reports from affected cities put the death toll at 254 on Tuesday morning, with 101 people killed in Pereira, deep in coffee country, and 95 in Cali, the country's third-biggest city.

Many Indigenous communities in the forested Pacific-facing region of Choco close to the quake epicenter are still without power or basic services, complicating rescue efforts.

The earthquake struck just days after the inauguration of new President Abelardo De La Espriella, who traveled to the affected regions and promised economic support to people who lost their homes.

The government, which announced immediate austerity measures as it came into power, is currently preparing to revise a more than $180 billion budget prepared by their leftist predecessors.