7.4 Earthquake Kills At Least 111 In Western Colombia, Traps People Under Debris

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, killing at least 111 people and leaving many trapped under debris as rescue workers searched rubble.

“killing at least 111 people”

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The quake hit at 7.34am on Monday (10.34pm AEST) with its epicentre in San Jose Del Palmar, a community of about 4800 people in the Choco region about 400 kilometres west of Bogota, the US Geological Survey said.

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Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella said at least 87 people were injured and about 1600 buildings were damaged, including at least 61 that completely collapsed, and he declared an emergency to expedite funding for quake recovery.

In Cali, search teams and civilians picked through destroyed buildings, passing large pieces of concrete and other rubble down a long line of volunteers, while Jorge Moncayo, a 64-year-old taxi driver, said, “My entire house shook. I’ve never lived through such a powerful earthquake.”

Death tolls varied across outlets, with CBS News reporting “at least 111 people” killed and BBC reporting “At least 132 killed,” as the death toll was described as likely to rise with people feared trapped under collapsed buildings.

The BBC said the magnitude 7.4 quake struck at 07:34 (12:34 GMT) at a depth of 103km (64 miles) in Chocó province, while CBS News said the epicenter was in San José del Palmar and that the quake hit at about 8:34 a.m. ET.

ABC News

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella told the public, “You are not alone,” and said, “Colombia has a president who cares about the people and who will do everything in his power to help them in the most difficult moments.”

In Pereira, the BBC reported local authorities had reported at least 40 people dead in the city's metropolitan area, with 65 collapsed buildings and people believed trapped in 15 of them, while CBS News said Pereira’s mayor Mauricio Salazar reported at least 18 people had died in the city and many more were trapped under “a massive quantity of collapsed buildings.”

Colombia’s Geological Service said Monday’s quake was the strongest recorded in Colombia “in the 21st century,” and it was followed by 21 less powerful aftershocks, while the BBC described the quake as followed by aftershocks and said a curfew was in place in some parts of the city until 05:00 local time on Tuesday.

“the strongest recorded in Colombia “in the 21st century””

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The BBC reported that Colombia’s President Abelardo de la Espriella declared a national disaster situation, creating special powers to react to the emergency, including to reallocate budgets, and it said more than 1,500 homes had been damaged.

International support moved quickly, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying it was “closely monitoring” the earthquake and stood “ready to support,” while EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said the EU's Copernicus satellite was being used in the rescue operation.

In the immediate response, ABC News said seven airports had suspended their services in Armenia, Cali, Manizales, Pereira, Quibdó, Buenaventura and Cartago, and it reported that at least 61 buildings had collapsed and over 1,600 homes had been damaged or destroyed, as people were trapped in collapsed buildings in Cali and a rescue effort was ongoing in a building where at least 15 people were trapped.