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

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, killing at least 132 people and injuring more than 480, with many trapped under debris as search teams worked through rubble.

“killing at least 132 people, destroying a hospital, damaging hundreds of buildings”

SMH.au

The quake hit at 07:34 in Chocó province at a depth of 103 kilometres, with its epicentre near San Jose Del Palmar, a community of about 4,800 people in the Choco region about 400 kilometres west of Bogota.

BBC

Colombia’s President Abelardo de Espriella, inaugurated only on Friday, declared a state of emergency and pledged, “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,” as the death toll was expected to rise.

In Pereira, where many deaths were concentrated, Jorge Moncayo said he saw plumes of dust shoot up across the city as buildings collapsed, adding, “My entire house shook. I’ve never lived through such a powerful earthquake.”

As the toll emerged, the BBC reported that the death toll was likely to rise, with more feared trapped under collapsed buildings, and it quoted Dan Cutler saying, “I've never experienced anything like it.”

The BBC also said local authorities reported at least 40 people dead in Pereira’s metropolitan area, with 65 collapsed buildings and people believed trapped in 15 of them, while a curfew was in place in some parts of the city until 05:00 local time on Tuesday.

CBS News

In Cali, the BBC said threats of looting forced the mayor to deploy police and military personnel to the streets, and it described a volunteer crew searching for survivors with the plea, “We are trying to get everyone out alive.”

Xinhua reported that Pereira’s authorities declared a curfew as an exceptional measure, and it said 16 people were trapped in the city’s cable system during the tremor while telecoms were collapsed and radiotelephones were activated for communication.

Beyond the immediate search and rescue, the BBC said the aviation authority reported damage at regional airports including those in Pereira, Manizales, Quibdó, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura, while flights were suspended as damage was assessed.

“Seven airports have suspended operations, and hospitals, roads, transportation, aqueducts, energy and telecommunications have been disrupted”

NBC News

NBC News said seven airports suspended operations and that hospitals, roads, transportation, aqueducts, energy and telecommunications were disrupted in the areas hardest hit, as Colombia’s newly inaugurated president Abelardo De La Espriella said 188 people were missing and three hospitals had collapsed.

The Guardian’s live coverage said the president declared a state of emergency and that his government deployed all of its capabilities “to protect lives, assist affected communities and deliver aid wherever it is needed,” with at least 61 buildings completely collapsed.

In parallel, Xinhua reported that the president traveled to Quibdó in Chocó to express solidarity and commit to subsidize at least 1.300 families affected by the emergency, while the US Geological Survey and Colombia’s geological service continued tracking aftershocks.