Colombia has declared a national disaster after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck the western part of the country, killing at least 132 people and injuring more than 570 as rescue teams continue searching damaged buildings for survivors.
The earthquake struck at 7.34am local time on Monday, with its epicentre about five kilometres east of San José del Palmar in Chocó department, according to the US Geological Survey. The quake occurred at a depth of about 107 kilometres. A magnitude 5.0 aftershock followed less than an hour later.
The destruction has spread across several cities. Authorities reported collapsed or damaged buildings, roads, health centres and schools. In Cali, at least 20 buildings were reported to have collapsed, with people trapped inside, while Manizales reported the destruction or partial destruction of more than 32 buildings.
The earthquake also disrupted transport. Cali’s Alfonso Bonilla Aragón Airport was damaged, while several other airports were temporarily closed for structural inspections. Roads and bridges were also shut in some areas as authorities assessed whether they remained safe.
In Bogotá, the shaking sent thousands of residents and office workers into the streets, although the capital reported no serious structural damage. The city has prepared rescuers to assist the hardest-hit areas.
President Abelardo De La Espriella has taken direct charge of the emergency response, while the national disaster declaration is intended to strengthen the mobilisation and coordination of rescue resources.
The earthquake was also felt in neighbouring Ecuador and Panama, although Colombian authorities said there was no tsunami threat to the country’s Pacific coast.
For rescuers, the immediate priority is finding people who may still be trapped beneath damaged structures. With hundreds injured and infrastructure assessments continuing, the full scale of the disaster may become clearer only as teams reach more remote and heavily damaged areas.
