Colombia's Deadly 7.4 Quake Was 'Unusual', Seismologist Says
A 7.4 magnitude earthquake in western Colombia killed at least 111 people. A seismologist says the deep, intra-plate quake was unusual.
A powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, killing at least 111 people, damaging hundreds of buildings, and leaving many trapped under debris as rescue workers and loved ones searched through the rubble.
The quake's epicenter was in San Jose del Palmar, a community of about 4,800 people in the Choco region, roughly 400 kilometers west of Bogota, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The tremors were felt across western Colombia, including in the cities of Cali, Pereira, Quibdo, and Manizales, as well as in neighboring Ecuador and Panama.
Rodrigo Alejandro Leon Loya, a seismologist at the University of the Andes, told Varta Wire that the event was unusual. He explained that while the area is known for frequent seismic activity, the earthquakes there are typically so small they are rarely felt. The 7.4 magnitude quake, however, was statistically significant.
Leon Loya noted that the quake occurred at a depth of between 90 and 100 kilometers within the subducting plate, rather than at the interface where the oceanic and continental plates collide. He added that the probability of another event of a similar size occurring in the same spot in the near future has decreased, as the accumulated energy has now been released.
Colombia's President Abelardo de la Espriella said at least 87 people were injured and around 1,600 buildings were damaged, including at least 61 that completely collapsed. He declared an emergency to expedite funding for the recovery effort. "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," he said.
Colombia's Geological Service said Monday's quake was the country's strongest recorded in the 21st century and was followed by several aftershocks. Local authorities reported at least 40 deaths in the Risaralda region, 27 in the Valle del Cauca region, nine in Choco, two in the Caldas region, and one in the Antioquia region. The location of the remaining 32 deaths was not immediately clear.
The Pacific region around the epicenter lies along the "Ring of Fire," a line of seismic faults encircling the Pacific Ocean where most of the world's earthquakes occur. Much of the Choco region, one of Colombia's poorest, is only reachable by boat or plane, which may pose difficulties in assessing the full extent of the damage.