7.4 Earthquake Kills At Least 132 In Western Colombia, Traps People In Debris

A 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, killing at least 132 people and leaving many trapped under debris as rescue workers searched through rubble.

“A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia, killing at least 132 people”

SMH.au

Colombia’s President Abelardo de la Espriella, who was inaugurated only on Friday, declared a state of emergency and said, “We aren’t going to leave people alone. They are in our hearts, and we are going to tend to people with our full determination,” while the quake’s epicentre was near San Jose Del Palmar in the Choco region.

20 Minutes

The death toll was concentrated in Pereira in Colombia’s western coffee-growing region, with surrounding cities and the Valle del Cauca region also hit hard, and the quake struck at 7.34am on Monday at a depth of 103 kilometres.

The US Geological Survey said the epicentre was in San Jose Del Palmar, a community of about 4800 people in the Choco region about 400 kilometres west of the capital Bogota, and the BBC reported the magnitude 7.4 quake struck at 07:34 at a depth of 103km in Chocó province.

In Pereira, videos verified by the BBC showed at least one building collapsing in Plaza Bolívar, with scattered debris and dust across the open space where many people had gathered.

Death toll figures diverged across outlets, with CBS News reporting “killing at least 111 people” and the BBC reporting “At least 132 people are dead,” even as both described the same 7.4 quake and the same western Colombia impact.

In Cali, search teams and civilians picked through the remains of destroyed buildings, and Álvaro López told AP, “Our building has basically been left in ruins, and the building next to ours? Completely collapsed,” as people searched for survivors.

ABC

The BBC reported that local authorities had reported at least 40 people dead in the city’s metropolitan area, with 65 collapsed buildings and people believed to be trapped in 15 of them.

In the capital Bogotá, the BBC said trees and traffic lights shook violently, with reports of cracks in buildings but so far none of any serious damage to the city’s infrastructure.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Trump administration was “closely monitoring” the earthquake and stood “ready to support,” while the BBC reported EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said the EU’s Copernicus satellite was being used in the rescue operation.

The quake’s impact extended to infrastructure and services, with NBC News reporting that “Seven airports have suspended operations” and that hospitals, roads, transportation, aqueducts, energy and telecommunications had been disrupted in the areas hardest hit.

“Seven airports have suspended operations”

NBC News

Colombia’s President Abelardo de la Espriella said in a national briefing that 188 people were missing, three hospitals had collapsed, and 18 other hospitals had been affected, while he also said 39 schools were affected and an estimated 5,000 homes were damaged or destroyed.

In Pereira, the BBC reported that search teams and civilians were picking through the remains of destroyed buildings around the city’s main square, and it also noted a curfew in place in some parts of the city until 05:00 local time on Tuesday.

The stakes for survivors included continued rescue operations for people believed trapped in collapsed buildings, and the BBC described that people were believed to be trapped in 15 collapsed buildings in Pereira’s metropolitan area.

International support was framed as immediate readiness, with the US State Department committing $15.5 million for the Colombia earthquake response and Marco Rubio saying the Trump administration stood “ready to support the people of Colombia.”