Colombia quake death toll revised to 216

Colombia's earthquake death toll was revised down to 216 on Wednesday as rescue crews continued searching collapsed buildings in the west of the country.

The government declared three days of mourning for victims of Monday's 7.4-magnitude quake, the strongest to hit Colombia in a century. It said flags would be lowered to half-staff on official buildings and at Colombian embassies around the world.

Emergency crews in Pereira and Cali used cranes, dogs and heavy machinery to search ruined buildings, while volunteers cleared debris by hand. Authorities revised the death toll after local officials in Cali corrected earlier figures.

Rescuers pulled 32-year-old Daniela Largo from rubble on Tuesday in Pereira after a local resident heard cries for help, her mother Sandra Milena Perez said.

In Cali, part of the Hospital Universitario del Valle collapsed during the quake, forcing doctors to move patients into a parking lot and treat some in the open air. Many survivors spent the night outdoors because their homes were damaged or because they feared aftershocks.

President Abelardo de la Espriella declared a state of emergency on Tuesday during a visit to Pereira and promised rent subsidies for affected families. The United States announced $15.5 million in emergency aid, while offers of assistance arrived from abroad.