7.4 Earthquake Kills At Least 111 In Western Colombia, Injures Dozens

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, killing at least 111 people and injuring dozens as rescue workers searched collapsed buildings across cities including Cali, Pereira, Quibdó, and Manizales.

“A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 struck western Colombia on Monday, killing more than 100 people”

CBS News

The epicenter was in San José del Palmar in the Chocó region, about 250 miles west of Bogotá, and the quake hit at about 8:34 a.m. ET, followed by a 5.0 magnitude aftershock less than an hour later, according to the U.S. Geological Survey and its counterpart in Colombia.

10News

Colombia’s President Abelardo de la Espriella declared an emergency to expedite funding for the quake recovery, and he told the public, "You are not alone," in a video message.

In Cali, Mayor Alejandro Eder said on social media that there were 30 collapsed structures, and Jorge Moncayo, a 64-year-old taxi driver, said, "My entire house shook."

The earthquake prompted evacuations as far away as Bogotá, where witnesses reported feeling the shaking and alarms sounding, while flights were suspended at multiple airports including Pereira, Manizales, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura.

In Cali, the Washington Post reported that the city’s hospital system reached 100 percent capacity and that seven major health centers, including hospitals, clinics and labs, were evacuated due to structural damage.

AP News

The U.S. State Department announced on X that the Trump administration would allocate US$15.5 million for emergency shelters, food, protection, and damage assessments, and it said, "We join in prayer with the Colombian people".

In San Diego, 10News described how Andres Rodriguez, manager and co-owner of Antojitos Colombianos in Sherman Heights, said his uncle Javier Rodriguez described Colombia’s scenes as, "Buildings collapsed, people crying and everything running around like crazy," while power outages and loss of cell signal made communication difficult.

As seismologists reviewed available data, the New York Times said the shaking happened at 7:34 a.m. Colombia time and that aftershocks had been reported in the same area, with the possibility that the earthquake’s reported magnitude could be revised.

“As seismologists review available data, they may revise the earthquake’s reported magnitude.”

The New York Times

The Associated Press reported that Colombia’s President Abelardo de la Espriella said at least 87 people were injured and around 1,600 buildings were damaged, including at least 61 that completely collapsed, as search teams and civilians picked through rubble in Cali.

In Pereira, the AP reported that authorities said people remained trapped in a number of the city’s 380 damaged buildings, and it said Pereira’s mayor, Mauricio Salazar, told a local radio station that at least 15 collapsed buildings had people feared trapped.

In the Chocó region, the BBC reported that Isabel Gómez in Cali said, "We have no food, water, or electricity," and it described how rescue teams believed there may be a girl trapped inside while she kept a handwritten list of people rescued nearby in case phone battery ran out.