Aljazeera – Colombia has declared three days of national mourning after a powerful earthquake killed more than 200 people as rescue crews race against time to find people trapped beneath the rubble.

The government said on Wednesday that flags would be lowered to half-staff at official buildings and Colombian embassies around the world “in honour of all the dead”.

The disaster is also an early test for President Abelardo de la Espriella, who took office just three days before the earthquake. The first-time president came to power after a divisive election and is now facing the first major crisis of his presidency.