A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, killing at least 22 people and causing significant destruction, including the collapse of a nearly century-old Catholic church. Terrifying footage captured the moment the spire of the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Rosary in Manizales detached and fell to the ground before the rest of the structure crumbled.
Emergency services worked to control the scene as dust clouds filled the sky, with police holding back devastated worshippers from the unstable ruins of the cathedral. The basilica, dating back to the 1920s, was known for having the tallest spire in Colombia and was one of the highest neo-Gothic churches in the Americas, standing approximately 390 feet tall.
The epicenter of the earthquake, the strongest recorded in Colombia in the past decade, was located near San Jose del Palmar in the Choco department, according to the Colombian Geological Service. The tremor caused further buildings to collapse in other major cities across the region, including Cali, Pereira, and Quibdo.