BOGOTA: At least 77 people were killed after a powerful earthquake struck western Colombia early on Monday, bringing down buildings across several cities and leaving dozens trapped under rubble.
The 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck at a depth of 107 kilometres near San Jose del Palmar in Choco province on Colombia’s Pacific coast, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The tremor was felt across the country, including in major urban centres.
The USGS warned that significant casualties and widespread damage were likely as a result of the disaster.
The highest number of fatalities was reported in the western province of Risaralda, where Governor Juan Diego Patino said at least 42 people had lost their lives.
In the provincial capital Pereira, dramatic footage circulating on social media showed a damaged building collapsing, sending clouds of dust and debris into the air as residents fled the area.
The earthquake also damaged one of the towers of a Gothic-style cathedral in Manizales, while hospitals in Cali were forced to evacuate patients outdoors as a precaution.
Manizales Mayor Jorge Eduardo Rojas confirmed that three people were killed in the city.
In Buenaventura, Colombia’s largest Pacific port, one person died after a building collapsed and trapped several people beneath the debris, according to Mayor Ligia del Carmen Cordoba.
Rescue operations continue
Authorities said rescue teams were continuing operations in Cali, where more than two dozen buildings collapsed.
Mayor Alejandro Eder said disaster response teams from Bogota and Medellin had been requested to assist local rescue efforts.
“At this point, two people have already been rescued alive, one elderly woman and one young girl. There are more people trapped,” Eder told local media.
He said emergency teams were responding to at least 12 critical locations and 25 collapsed structures across the city.
In Choco province, Governor Nubia Carolina Cordoba-Curi reported injuries and extensive structural damage in the provincial capital Quibdo and urged residents to remain alert for aftershocks.
President suspends activities
The earthquake struck only days after President Abelardo De La Espriella assumed office, presenting the new administration with its first major national emergency.
In a video message recorded while travelling to Bogota, the president announced he was suspending all scheduled activities to oversee emergency response and coordination efforts.
The country’s civil aviation authority temporarily suspended operations at airports in Pereira, Manizales, Quibdo, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura while inspections for structural damage were carried out.
No tsunami threat
The US Tsunami Warning System said there was no tsunami threat following the earthquake, which occurred at 7:34am local time.
The tremor was felt across nine departments and in all 32 departmental capitals of Colombia.
Reuters witnesses also reported feeling the quake in Venezuela’s border state of Tachira and the city of Barquisimeto.
Colombia is located in a seismically active region where earthquakes are relatively common. The country suffered a devastating 6.2-magnitude earthquake in 1999 that killed more than 1,000 people in the coffee-growing region.
The latest disaster comes just weeks after twin earthquakes in neighbouring Venezuela claimed more than 6,000 lives, primarily along the coast near Caracas.
