CALI, Colombia — 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 while their loved ones and rescue workers searched through rubble.
What Happened
Meanwhile, in the Colombian Capital of Bogota, some people ran out into the street in their pajamas when emergency sirens rang out, AFP reported. He declared an emergency to expedite funding for the quake recovery while saying he would visit the disaster zone. The Pacific, particularly the Choco region, is one of the poorest regions in the country. Nestled in the dense jungle, much of Choco is only reachable by boat or plane, which may pose a problem for authorities in assessing the wider toll. Residents and rescue workers were searching the rubble for survivors. Flight ops suspended, emergency sirens rung Flight ops suspended, emergency sirens rung Meanwhile, local news outlets aired footage of some buildings with their facades ripped off by the quake.
Colombia’s President Abelardo de la Espriella, who reported the death toll, said at least 87 people were injured and around 1,600 buildings were damaged, including at least 61 that completely collapsed. Jorge Moncayo, a 64-year-old taxi driver in Cali, said he saw plumes of dust shoot up across the city as buildings collapsed. Local authorities said the death toll included at least 40 people who were killed in the Risaralda region, where the hard-hit city of Pereira is located, as well as 27 people in the Valle del Cauca region, where Cali is located, including three children. Authorities also confirmed nine people killed in Choco, two in the Caldas region and a 73-year-old in the Antioquia region. It was not immediately clear where the other 32 people died. The death toll from the strong earthquake that struck western Colombia on Monday has risen to at least 69, authorities said.
Colombia’s Pacific region around the quake’s epicenter lies along the “Ring of Fire,” the line of seismic faults encircling the Pacific Ocean where most of the world’s earthquakes occur. Colombia’s newly inaugurated president said Monday that he had personally taken charge of the government’s response to the emergency. However, Bogota’s mayor, Carlos Galan, said on X there was no major damage in the capital. The US tsunami warning system said there was no tsunami warning after the quake.
