Magnitude 7.4 Colombia Earthquake Kills At Least 164 as Rescuers Search Pereira and Cali

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake devastated parts of Colombia’s coffee-growing region on Monday, and France 24 reported that at least 164 people were killed as rescuers searched for survivors beneath wreckage into a second day.

“At least 164 people have been killed”

France 24

France 24 said the quake tore through Colombia’s coffee-growing heartland early on Monday, killing at least 164 people, and reduced multi-storey buildings to rubble in cities such as Pereira and Cali.

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In Cali, France 24 reported that at least 85 people were killed, while emergency teams worked through the night with excavators and, at times, their bare hands, hunting for survivors beneath debris.

In Pereira, capital of the hard-hit state of Risaralda, France 24 reported 66 dead, and it described the city’s airport violently swaying during the quake as large chunks of the ceiling collapsed as people sheltered.

The Korea Post put the death toll at least 132 and said the earthquake struck on the morning of Aug. 10 near San José del Palmar in the western department of Chocó, sending strong tremors across a wide area of the country.

As the death toll and damage figures continued to be assessed, BBC reported that the magnitude 7.4 quake struck at 07:34 (12:34 GMT) at a depth of 103km (64 miles) in Chocó province, and that a state of emergency had been declared.

BBC also said Colombia’s President Abelardo de la Espriella declared a national disaster situation, creating special powers to react to the emergency, including to reallocate budgets.

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In Cali, France 24 reported that President Abelardo De La Espriella said 35 people died in Cali alone and 188 were missing, and it added that Cali, as well as Pereira, implemented curfews on Monday night.

i24NEWS said De La Espriella declared a national state of emergency, quoting him: "The national government has all of its capabilities deployed to protect lives, assist affected communities".

i24NEWS further reported that "The first priority is rescuing the people trapped under the rubble," as it listed 86 buildings collapsed and seven airports suspended operations.

Beyond the immediate search and rescue, France 24 described how several of the top floors of one of the city’s hospitals collapsed in Cali, leaving some patients trapped and forcing some 600 others to be tended to on a street strewn with rubble.

“forcing some 600 others to be tended to on a street”

France 24

France 24 quoted hospital director Irne Torres Castro telling Caracol television that 600 others were forced to be tended to outside, and it also reported that Carmen Yasmin Garcia, 43, said her group freed seven people but that four others and a dog remained trapped.

In the wider response, i24NEWS said 1,600 buildings were reported damaged or collapsed across cities including Cali, Quibdo and Pereira, and it reported that more than 2,700 people had been reported missing on citizen-run tracking websites by Monday night.

The Korea Post said officials warned that casualty figures could change as search teams gain access to heavily damaged buildings and more remote communities, and it added that the earthquake was felt far beyond the areas closest to the epicenter.

Rolling Stone reported that Colombian stars including J Balvin and Maluma called for support, and it quoted J Balvin in Spanish: “Much strength with the situation of the earthquake in Colombia [and] strength to all the people and families affected. We’re going to move quickly to help with the situation.”