Colombia Earthquake: Death Toll Climbs Past 77 as Rescue Efforts Continue
A 7.4 magnitude earthquake in western Colombia has killed at least 77 people, with rescue operations underway in multiple cities.
A powerful earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday morning, killing at least 77 people and causing significant damage across several cities. The 7.4 magnitude tremor, which hit at a depth of 107 kilometers near San Jose del Palmar in the Pacific Coast province of Choco, was felt in major cities nationwide.
The highest death toll was reported in the western province of Risaralda, where Governor Juan Diego Patino confirmed 42 fatalities. In the provincial capital of Pereira, social media footage showed a building with a cracked facade collapsing to the ground, sending debris into the air as onlookers fled.
The quake also damaged a Gothic-style cathedral in Manizales, where Mayor Jorge Eduardo Rojas reported three deaths. In Buenaventura, Colombia's main Pacific port, one person died when a building collapsed, trapping several others, according to Mayor Ligia del Carmen Cordoba.
In Cali, one of Colombia's largest cities, Mayor Alejandro Eder said more than two dozen structures collapsed, leaving people trapped. "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 city has requested disaster teams from Bogota and Medellin to support rescue efforts.
Choco Governor Nubia Carolina Cordoba-Curi reported injuries and significant damage in Quibdo, the provincial capital, and warned residents about potential aftershocks.
The earthquake struck just days after Abelardo De La Espriella was sworn in as president, marking the new administration's first major crisis. De La Espriella, who was flying to Bogota at the time, said he was suspending his planned activities to lead emergency coordination efforts from the capital.
Colombia's civil aviation authority suspended flights at airports in Pereira, Manizales, Quibdo, Armenia, Cartago, and Buenaventura while inspectors checked for structural damage. The U.S. tsunami warning system said there was no tsunami threat.
Colombia is no stranger to seismic activity, being crisscrossed by three ranges of the Andean mountains. However, landslides have historically been the country's deadliest natural disasters, with the Armero disaster in 1985 killing some 25,000 people. The coffee region, including Armenia and Pereira, suffered a devastating 6.2 magnitude quake in 1999 that killed more than 1,000 people.
The quake was felt in nine departments and all 32 departmental capitals, with reports of tremors also reaching neighboring Venezuela, which experienced devastating twin earthquakes in June that killed more than 6,000 people.