Source The Hindu
BOGOTÁ, Colombia — A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday morning, killing at least 69 people, trapping residents beneath flattened buildings, and sending tremors across neighboring Ecuador and Panama.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) and Colombia’s Geological Service reported that the temblor occurred at a depth of approximately 107 kilometers (66 miles). Its epicenter was centered near San José del Palmar, a rural municipality in the Pacific-adjacent Chocó region roughly 400 kilometers (250 miles) west of Bogotá.
Severe Destruction Across Western Cities
The earthquake caused catastrophic structural damage across western urban centers:
Valle del Cauca Department: At least 27 fatalities were reported, including three children. In Cali, Colombia’s third-largest city, Mayor Alejandro Eder confirmed that rescue crews were actively searching through the ruins of more than 20 collapsed structures.
Risaralda Department: Local officials reported over 40 deaths in the region. In the capital city of Pereira, parts of Matecaña International Airport suffered major overhead structural damage, prompting immediate flight suspensions.
Caldas Department: In Manizales, two deaths were recorded after one of the primary towers of the historic neo-Gothic Cathedral Basilica collapsed directly onto its nave.
Chocó Department: Authorities in Quibdó reported widespread injuries and structural collapse, while communication with isolated areas near the epicenter remained severely constrained.
Emergency Response and Tremors Abroad
Shaking was felt clearly in Bogotá and across neighboring Ecuador, driving thousands of panicked residents out of high-rise apartment complexes and into open streets. Though strong tremors prompted brief evacuations in northern Ecuador, initial assessments indicated minimal structural impact outside Colombia.
President Abelardo de la Espriella announced the activation of a Unified Command Post and said he would personally oversee relief operations in San José del Palmar. Five specialized platoons from the Colombian Army—equipped with search dogs and high-precision debris-detection technology—have been deployed across western municipalities to search for survivors.
Seismologists warned of potential aftershocks in the coming hours as emergency crews race against time to pull trapped victims from the rubble.
