'Terrifying' moment Sydney couple's home fell 'to bits' in Colombia quake

After moving to the Colombian city of Cali just over a year ago, Sydney couple Ana Maria Chaves and Christian Bitancurt had settled into life in the country's salsa capital."You have to learn how to dance if you live here, you have to learn to salsa otherwise you won't fit in here," Mr Bitancurt said.However, their lives were uprooted when a magnitude-7.4 earthquake hit the country's west last Monday."We all just dived under the table, and our dog is quite big, he's a German shepherd, we couldn't fit him under the table," Ms Chaves, who previously called Daceyville in Sydney's east home, said.Mr Bitancurt and Ms Chaves took cover under a table when the earthquake hit their hometown of Cali. (Supplied)While taking shelter under their dining table with Ms Chaves's elderly mother, a wall in their third-floor apartment fell on top of them."The sound of the building where you live just falling to bits is terrifying," Mr Bitancurt said.After the shaking stopped, they made their way outside to find their new city in ruins."What we saw is just a whole bunch of people crying, desperate, looking shocked, not knowing what to do because there's no communication," Mr Bitancurt said.A magnitude-7.4 earthquake hit Colombia on August 10. (Supplied)Their high-rise apartment has now been deemed too unstable to live in, the couple only returning briefly to grab essentials like clothes and medications."We have to start from scratch, we had already set up our home here and we're looking at having to start from zero," Ms Chaves said.They have moved in temporarily with Ms Chaves's step-mother, grateful to have "a bed to sleep in" while they work out their next steps.The couple's apartment is now considered too unstable to live in. (Supplied)Local fundraising effortsOn the other side of the world, members of Sydney's Colombian community shared traditional food and music in support of those back home.There are nearly 11,000 people who were born in Colombia living in Sydney.Gathering at a Colombian restaurant in Ashfield in Sydney's inner west, many attendees had family and friends impacted by the earthquake.The fundraising event at Ashfield was organised by Ms Valencia. (ABC News: Abubakr Sajid)Organiser Daniela Valencia said her sister had lost all her possessions."We are very far away and we decided to do at least something to help all families," Ms Valencia said.Funds raised by the event, which included a raffle, DJ and performances, were being donated to the Red Cross."We need a lot of help, that's why we are calling all communities, all Latin community and even the Aussie community to help us," she said.Money from the fundraiser will go to the Red Cross. (ABC News: Abubakr Sajid)Daniel Sarmiento came to enjoy a fried fish, coconut rice and plantain lunch."We cannot go to support our family our friends, so we try to do something like come here to buy some lunch," Mr Sarmiento said."We are sad, but we are together, we are stronger if we are together."Close to 11,000 people born in Colombia live in Sydney. (ABC News: Abubakr Sajid)'We need to just survive and get through this'As recovery efforts continued in Cali, walking around the streets was still dangerous."You do have to be careful as to not walk too close to some of these buildings, because they are very, very damaged," Ms Chaves said.Taking things "one day at a time," the couple are unsure where they will live or what the future will hold."We have no answers right now, we need to just survive and get through this."Rescue efforts in Cali are ongoing. (Supplied)But one thing Ms Chaves and Mr Bitancurt have been able to find comfort in is people pulling together as a community.When they went to volunteer at a nearby collapsed building, they were turned away."There were so many people that the police that were around the barricade said 'Guys go home, because we have too many volunteers'," Ms Chaves said."There's been such an overwhelming response of people wanting to help, it's just been beautiful to see that."