A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, causing widespread destruction and killing at least 47 people, with the death toll expected to rise as rescue teams searched for survivors trapped in rubble. The earthquake, which hit at a depth of approximately 60 miles, triggered the collapse of numerous buildings across several cities, including Pereira, Cali, and Manizales.
Harrowing video footage showed a building in Pereira crumbling during the tremors, accompanied by the screams of onlookers. In Cali, one of the country's largest cities, more than two dozen structures collapsed, and residents were reported trapped. The city's mayor requested disaster teams from Bogota and Medellin to assist in rescue operations.
Pereira reported the highest number of fatalities with 18 deaths, while Manizales recorded three. Buenaventura, Colombia's main Pacific port, also experienced a building collapse that trapped individuals and resulted in one fatality. Significant damage and injuries were reported in Quibdo, the capital of Choco province, where the earthquake's epicenter was located near San Jose del Palmar.
The seismic event, which occurred at 7:34 a.m. local time (8:34 a.m. ET), was felt across nine departments and all 32 departmental capitals, leading to evacuations and damage reports. Colombia's civil aviation authority temporarily suspended flights at several airports to allow for structural inspections of terminals and runways.
While the U.S. tsunami warning system indicated no threat of a tsunami, the earthquake's impact was also felt in parts of Venezuela, including the border state of Tachira and the city of Barquisimeto.
