Powerful earthquake in Colombia claimed lives of more than 130 people
Kyiv • UNN
An earthquake measuring 7.4 in magnitude struck Chocó Province, killing at least 132 people. In the city of Pereira, 65 buildings collapsed, and a state of emergency has been declared.
At least 132 people have been killed, and a state of emergency has been declared after Colombia was shaken by one of the strongest earthquakes in recent years, UNN writes, citing the BBC.
Details
The death toll is likely to rise, as there are fears that even more people may be trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings.
According to the country's geological service, a magnitude-7.4 earthquake struck at 07:34 (15:34 Kyiv time) at a depth of 103 km in Chocó Province. It was felt across a vast area stretching hundreds of kilometers throughout western Colombia.
Many of the deaths occurred in the city of Pereira, in Colombia's coffee-growing region; surrounding cities and the Valle del Cauca region were also severely affected.
The earthquake's epicenter was near the village of San José del Palmar, in Chocó Province, but local mayor León Fabio Marín Moncada said that, miraculously, no one had been killed or injured despite damage to roads.
The Association of Capital Cities of Colombia reported on Monday that more than 480 people had been affected by the earthquakes.
About 55 km from the earthquake's epicenter, the city of Pereira suffered the greatest destruction.
Videos verified by the BBC show that at least one building collapsed in Bolívar Square, the city's main square.
Local authorities reported at least 40 deaths in the city's metropolitan area, where 65 buildings collapsed. People are believed to be trapped under the rubble in 15 of them.
A curfew is in effect in some parts of the city until 05:00 local time on Tuesday.
Thirty-two buildings collapsed in Cali, located approximately 160 km south of Pereira and about 200 km from the epicenter.
There were also reports of deaths in Manizales, Quibdó, Medellín, and in the Chocó and Valle del Cauca regions.
The country's aviation authority reported damage at several regional airports, including those in Pereira, Manizales, Quibdó, Armenia, Cartago, and Buenaventura.
In the capital, Bogotá, trees and traffic lights shook violently, and cracks in buildings were reported, but so far no serious damage has been caused to the city's infrastructure.
The tremors were felt even in neighboring Venezuela, Ecuador, and Panama.
The earthquake occurred less than two months after two earthquakes devastated northern Venezuela, killing more than 6,300 people.
Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella declared a national disaster emergency, granting special powers to respond to the emergency, including reallocating budget funds.
Only on Friday, the new president took office, and he immediately faced an event that could potentially define his legacy.
In addition to the deaths, he confirmed that more than 1,500 homes had been damaged.
As the scale of the damage began to emerge, world leaders offered their support.