Former player Carlos Daniel Hidalgo shared his harrowing experience during a powerful earthquake that hit Pasto in 2016. The ex-delantero, who was born and raised in the city, recounts how he had to evacuate a collapsing hotel where he was staying with the youth team.
Hidalgo decided to stay in his room on the fifth floor of the six-story building instead of joining the rest of the squad for breakfast as he felt unwell. As he slept, the ground began to shake violently, forcing him to quickly evacuate the structure.
‘The building and the stairs started collapsing, falling on me,’ Hidalgo recounted. ‘I was only seeing dust and debris.’
During his frantic descent down the stairs, Hidalgo was hit by various pieces of rubble, causing him to fall twice. The impacts left him with injuries to his face and head.
‘I fell I think two times because of the blows that hit my head,’ he added while recalling the moments of distress he went through.
After managing to escape the building, Hidalgo was taken to Pasto where doctors conducted tomographies and radiographs to assess the extent of his injuries. He later managed to contact his family who had also felt the intensity of the earthquake's tremors.
‘The experience left me with an important reflection on the need to pay attention to protocols,’ Hidalgo stated, emphasizing the importance of safety measures during such events.
