- A 7.4-magnitude earthquake has killed at least 70 people in Colombia
- Several cities suffered building collapses and major damage
- The government has declared a national disaster
A magnitude 7.4 earthquake has killed at least 70 people in Colombia, according to local authorities, prompting President Abelardo de la Espriella’s government to declare a national disaster.
Eko Hot Blog reports that officials warned that the death toll could increase as rescue teams search buildings that collapsed during the powerful tremor.
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The earthquake struck at 7:34 a.m. local time at a depth of about 103 kilometres, with its epicentre near San José del Palmar in Chocó Province, according to Colombia’s geological service.
Pereira, located in the country’s coffee-growing region, recorded the highest number of casualties, while several other cities and communities across the Valle del Cauca region were also badly affected.
Preliminary figures put the number of deaths at 37 in Pereira, three in Manizales, one in Quibdó, one in Medellín, four elsewhere in Chocó and 28 across Valle del Cauca.
The government’s declaration of a national disaster gives authorities additional powers to respond to the emergency, including the ability to redirect public funds towards relief and recovery operations.
The earthquake was felt hundreds of kilometres away in Bogotá, where residents rushed out of homes and offices as buildings shook violently. Several structures were evacuated after cracks were reported, although officials said there were no initial reports of major damage to the capital’s infrastructure.
In Manizales, residents reported severe damage to buildings, while footage showed rubble from collapsed structures and a church spire that had fallen during the tremor.
Cali, Colombia’s third-largest city, also suffered extensive damage. The city’s mayor reported that about 25 buildings had collapsed, while emergency footage showed damaged structures and debris across affected areas.
Several regional airports, including those serving Pereira, Manizales, Quibdó, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura, also sustained damage, according to the country’s aviation authorities.
Residents described scenes of panic as walls cracked, bricks fell and buildings shook for nearly two minutes. In Manizales, eyewitnesses said people were screaming and dust was rising from damaged structures as they tried to move to safer locations.
Authorities are continuing search-and-rescue operations as emergency teams assess the scale of destruction and look for people who may still be trapped beneath collapsed buildings.
The United States Geological Survey described the tremor as the strongest earthquake to strike Colombia in 34 years.
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