A powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Colombia on Monday, killing at least 132 people and prompting the declaration of a state of emergency. The seismic event, the strongest to hit the country in the 21st century, caused widespread damage and forced residents to evacuate buildings.
Liliana Pérez Ocampo recounted her family's narrow escape, capturing video as they fled their home just moments before it was heavily shaken. "At first, we thought it was just a mild tremor like the ones that usually happen in Colombia, but when more than 30 seconds passed and everything was shaking harder, we realised it was an earthquake," she told the BBC World Service. Her family, including two children who were at school, were unharmed. "In the end, material things can be replaced. The most important thing is life, and we have that," she added.
The earthquake's epicenter was near the border with Ecuador, and tremors were felt as far away as in the capital city of Bogotá. The Colombian Geological Service confirmed the magnitude and its status as the most powerful quake in decades. Emergency services have been mobilized across the affected regions to respond to the disaster.