At least 73 people were killed in Colombia as a result of a 7.4-magnitude earthquake
An earthquake measuring 7.4 on the Richter scale struck western Colombia on Monday morning, killing at least 73 people. Rescue workers are clearing rubble in Cali and other cities where buildings collapsed due to the tremors, according to Deutsche Welle English.
The highest number of casualties was recorded in the departments of Risaralda and Valle del Cauca. Authorities in Valle del Cauca, whose administrative center is Cali, reported at least 27 deaths. In Risaralda, 40 people died, including at least 18 in the departmental capital of Pereira.
Cali Mayor Alejandro Eder stated that at least 20 buildings collapsed in the city, and people may be trapped in some of them. According to him, city services are conducting a rescue operation, and he has appealed to the mayors of Bogotá and Medellín for assistance, specifically regarding the deployment of rescue teams.
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Manizales Mayor Jorge Eduardo Rojas reported two fatalities in that city in the Caldas department. Nubia Carolina Córdoba-Curí, governor of the Chocó department, stated that four people were killed in her region, and another 69 were injured.
The epicenter of the earthquake was located in the eastern part of the Chocó Department, south of the Tatama National Natural Park and near the department’s eastern border. The U.S. Geological Survey estimated the depth of the quake at approximately 107 kilometers. Less than an hour after the main quake, the agency also recorded a 5.0-magnitude aftershock.
Colombia’s Civil Aviation Authority reported damage to airports in Pereira, Manizales, Quibdo, Armenia, Cartagena, Buenaventura, and Cali. Flights at these airports have been suspended while the condition of the infrastructure is assessed. The tremors were also felt in Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela.
