Colombia quake leaves more than 110 dead – as it happened

Colombia Reels After Catastrophic 7.4 Magnitude Earthquake Claims Over 110 Lives

Wanderstayfinder.com – Western Colombia is currently conducting extensive search and rescue operations following a devastating seismic event that struck early Monday morning. The 7.4-magnitude earthquake, which hit at approximately 7:34 a.m. local time, has left a trail of destruction across multiple departments, with official death tolls now exceeding 110 individuals. More than 2,700 residents remain unaccounted for as emergency teams work through the night to locate survivors trapped beneath collapsed structures.

The epicenter was located in San Jose Del Palmar, a small mountain community of roughly 4,800 inhabitants situated along a highway connecting Cali and Pereira. This remote region, which lacks an airport, experienced the most intense shaking. The initial tremor was followed by significant aftershocks measuring 2.8 and 4.8 on the Richter scale, with the Colombian Geological Service recording a total of 21 subsequent quakes by late Monday evening.

Government Response and Emergency Declaration

Abelardo de la Espriella, Colombia’s newly inaugurated president who took office just days before the disaster, immediately declared a nationwide state of emergency. In a televised address to the nation, he outlined the government’s comprehensive response strategy.

“The first priority is rescuing the people trapped under the rubble,” de la Espriella stated following assessments that revealed more than 1,600 structures sustained damage, with at least 61 buildings completely destroyed.

The president emphasized that all governmental capabilities have been mobilized to protect citizens, assist impacted communities, and distribute essential supplies wherever they are most urgently needed. Military and police units have been deployed to secure affected areas, particularly in Cali, where authorities cited concerns about potential looting as justification for the curfew.

Regional Impact and Casualty Figures

The earthquake’s reach extended far beyond western Colombia. Residents in Bogotá, the capital located approximately 400 kilometers away, felt the powerful tremors. The shaking was also registered in neighboring Ecuador, Venezuela, and Panama.

Pereira emerged as one of the hardest-hit urban centers, with local officials reporting a minimum of 40 fatalities. The Chocó department suffered at least 12 deaths, while Valle del Cauca recorded 27 casualties, including 15 residents in Cali—Colombia’s third-largest city. In Pereira, dramatic footage captured by local media showed sections of the airport ceiling collapsing onto travelers seeking shelter, while dust clouds billowed through streets lined with fallen commercial and residential buildings.

Pereira’s mayor, Mauricio Salazar, informed local radio that at least 15 buildings had collapsed in the city, with fears that numerous people remained trapped inside. Meanwhile, in Manizales, a prominent tower of the neo-Gothic cathedral crumbled onto the nave below. Mayor Jorge Eduardo Rojas urged citizens to remain outdoors to avoid injury from potential aftershocks.

Infrastructure Disruptions and International Aid

Transportation networks faced significant disruptions as authorities suspended flights at airports in Manizales, Quibdo, Armenia, Cartago, Buenaventura, and Pereira while conducting safety assessments. Communication challenges compounded the crisis in Chocó, where phone signals went down across many areas of the regional capital, Quibdo. Officials in the remote zone reported dozens of injured individuals and damaged infrastructure but provided limited additional details due to connectivity issues.

International support began flowing in rapidly. The United States State Department committed $15.5 million to fund emergency shelter, food distribution, and other critical assistance. Multiple Latin American governments also extended offers of help to their Colombian neighbors.

This disaster arrives less than two months after consecutive earthquakes ravaged parts of Venezuela, claiming over 6,100 lives in that country. The timing underscores the vulnerability of the region to seismic activity.

As nighttime operations continue, volunteers in Cali shared updates from the field. One rescue worker described her team’s efforts to extract seven individuals from a fallen structure, noting that four people and a dog remained trapped beneath the debris. “We are trying to get everyone out alive,” she told reporters, capturing the determination driving rescue efforts across the affected region.