BOGOTA — A powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, killing at least 111 people and injuring 87, while collapsing or damaging buildings across several cities, authorities said, as rescue teams searched rubble for survivors.
The earthquake struck at a depth of 107 km (66 miles) near the municipality of San Jose del Palmar in Choco, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Colombia's Geological Service said it was the strongest earthquake recorded in the country in the 21st century.
The worst damage was reported in the western coffee-growing region, particularly Pereira, the capital of Risaralda. A four-storey building collapsed there, while rescuers searched other damaged structures for people who may have been trapped, according to Reuters-verified video and local reports.
Buildings were also damaged in Manizales, Cali, Quibdo and other cities. In Manizales, part of a landmark neo-Gothic cathedral collapsed during the shaking, sending debris onto nearby streets. In Cali, firefighters rescued two women and two children from a collapsed building, Reuters reported.
Authorities said the earthquake also damaged hospitals and other infrastructure. Colombia's civil aviation authority suspended operations at airports in Pereira, Manizales, Quibdo, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura while engineers carried out structural inspections. Communications were disrupted in parts of Choco, where access to information and emergency response was complicated by outages.
President Abelardo De La Espriella declared a national state of emergency and said the government's priority was rescuing people trapped beneath rubble and delivering assistance to affected communities.
"The national government has all of its capabilities deployed to protect lives, assist affected communities and deliver aid wherever it is needed," De La Espriella said in a national address.
In Choco, Governor Nubia Carolina Cordoba reported 12 deaths and 84 injuries, with officials warning that the toll could change as teams reached areas affected by communications disruptions.
The Colombian Geological Service reported at least 21 aftershocks following the main earthquake and warned that further tremors were possible. Colombia lies along the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire and experiences frequent earthquakes.
Rescue operations and structural inspections were continuing on Tuesday, with authorities assessing damage and updating casualty figures as teams reached affected areas.
