Powerful earthquake in western Colombia kills more than 132 people
A 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia, damaging buildings and infrastructure as rescuers searched for people trapped beneath rubble.
Cali, Colombia. More than 132 people were reported killed after a powerful earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, toppling buildings, damaging hospitals and infrastructure, and trapping people beneath rubble. Colombia’s Geological Service said it was the strongest earthquake recorded in the country this century.
Emergency response
President Abelardo De La Espriella declared a national state of emergency in a national address at about 1 p.m. local time, saying the government had deployed all its capabilities to protect lives, assist affected communities and deliver aid.
“The first priority is rescuing the people trapped under the rubble,” he said, giving a death toll of 111.
De La Espriella visited Quibdo, the capital of coastal Choco province, where he promised rent subsidies for people who had lost their homes. He later travelled to Cali, western Colombia’s largest city.
Casualties and damage
The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.4 and struck at a depth of 107 kilometres.
The president later provided figures only for Valle del Cauca province, where Cali is located, reporting 35 deaths and 700 injuries. Some local media cited a national death toll of 132, though the origin of that figure was unclear.
As night fell, rescue workers and volunteers using headlamps continued searching for people beneath the rubble.
Security measures and festival postponement
Authorities in Cali, Armenia and Manizales announced curfews. Cali’s mayor said threats of looting had led to police and military personnel being deployed on the streets, while De La Espriella promised an additional 1,000 security personnel for the city.
Cali authorities said the Petronio Alvarez festival, an annual celebration of Pacific music scheduled to begin on Wednesday, had been postponed.
Caracol Television broadcast footage showing people pulling a dust-covered baby from rubble. The broadcaster reported that the six-month-old girl and her mother had been rescued from beneath a five-storey building in Cali.
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