BOGOTÁ: At least 111 people have been killed and a state of emergency has been declared after Colombia was struck by one of its strongest earthquakes in recent years, authorities said.
The number of casualties is expected to increase as rescue teams continue searching for people feared trapped beneath collapsed buildings.
According to Colombia’s Geological Service, the magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck at 7:34 a.m. local time (12:34 GMT) at a depth of 103 kilometers in Chocó Province. The tremor was felt across a vast area of western Colombia, extending hundreds of miles from the epicenter.
Many of the deaths have been reported in Pereira, a major city in Colombia’s coffee-growing region, while nearby cities and other parts of Valle del Cauca also suffered significant damage.
The epicenter was located near the village of San José del Palmar in Chocó. Local mayor León Fabio Marín Moncada said there were no reported deaths or injuries in the village itself, although roads connecting the area were damaged.
About 55 kilometers from the epicenter, Pereira experienced some of the heaviest destruction. Verified videos showed at least one building collapsing in Plaza Bolívar, the city’s central square, leaving debris and dust across the area.
Authorities said at least 40 people have died in the Pereira metropolitan area, where 65 buildings collapsed. Rescue operations are continuing, with people believed to be trapped in 15 of the collapsed structures.
A nighttime curfew has been imposed in parts of the city until 5:00 a.m. Tuesday.
In Cali, roughly 160 kilometers south of Pereira and about 200 kilometers from the epicenter, authorities reported 32 building collapses.
Among those affected was Dan Cutler, 29, from London, who is traveling in Colombia with his partner. Speaking from Cali, he told the BBC that the earthquake was unlike anything he had ever experienced.
“We ran outside in our pajamas,” he said, adding that although the hotel had not suffered major structural damage, cracks had appeared in the walls and plaster had fallen.
Additional deaths were reported in Manizales, Quibdó, Medellín, and other areas of Chocó and Valle del Cauca, as emergency crews continued rescue and assessment operations across the affected regions.
(Inputs from BBC)
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