Colombia Earthquake Kills at Least 22, Buildings Collapse in Several Cities

A powerful earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, killing at least 22 people and causing buildings to collapse in several cities, local authorities reported.

The highest death toll was in Pereira, a city in the coffee-growing region, where Mayor Mauricio Salazar said 18 people died. In nearby Manizales, three people were killed, according to Mayor Jorge Eduardo Rojas. One death was reported in Buenaventura, Colombia's main Pacific port, where a building collapse trapped several people, said Mayor Ligia del Carmen Cordoba.

In Cali, one of Colombia's largest cities, more than two dozen structures collapsed, leaving people trapped. Mayor Alejandro Eder said the city had requested disaster teams from Bogota and Medellin to assist rescue efforts. "At this point, two people have already been rescued alive, one elderly woman and one young girl. There are more people trapped," Eder told Blu Radio. "We have at least 12 critical points and 25 collapsed structures that we are responding to."

The quake's epicenter was near San Jose del Palmar in Choco, a sparsely populated province on the Pacific Coast. Choco Governor Nubia Carolina Cordoba-Curi reported injuries and significant damage in Quibdo, the provincial capital, and warned residents about aftershocks.

Colombia's civil aviation authority suspended flights at airports in Pereira, Manizales, Quibdo, Armenia, Cartago, and Buenaventura while inspectors checked for structural damage. The disaster agency said the quake, which struck at 7:34 local time (1234 GMT), was felt in nine departments and all 32 departmental capitals, triggering evacuations and damage reports.

Colombia's geological service measured the magnitude at 7.4 and said the quake occurred at a depth of 96 kilometers (60 miles). The U.S. tsunami warning system said there was no tsunami threat.

The quake was also felt in Venezuela's border state of Tachira and the central-western city of Barquisimeto, according to witnesses. Venezuela was hit by devastating twin earthquakes in June that killed more than 6,000 people, mostly on the coast near Caracas.