At least 111 killed as 7.4-magnitude earthquake devastates western Colombia
More than 100 people have died after a powerful earthquake struck western Colombia, collapsing and severely damaging scores of buildings in major cities including Cali and Pereira.
The US and Colombian geological surveys reported that a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck at 7.34am local time (13.34 BST) on Monday, with its epicentre in the western department of Chocó. It was also felt in neighbouring Venezuela, which is still reeling from a deadly double earthquake on 24 June.
Colombia’s president, Abelardo de la Espriella, said 111 people had been killed and 87 injured, while 61 buildings had collapsed.
"The national government has all of its capabilities deployed to protect lives, assist affected communities and deliver aid wherever it is needed," he said in a national address at about 1pm local time, upon declaring a national state of emergency. "The first priority is rescuing the people trapped under the rubble."
Western Colombia appears to have suffered the most serious damage, where authorities reported 27 deaths in the Valle del Cauca department, 40 deaths in Pereira, the capital of Risaralda department, and at least two in Manizales, the capital of Caldas.
The mayor of Manizales, Jorge Eduardo Rojas Giraldo, said at least 12 buildings and 20 homes had been partially or completely or destroyed there.
In a social media video, he told citizens to be "completely ready" for aftershocks. "Do not go back into the buildings yet. I know this isn’t easy but stay outside for a little while at least because there could be an aftershock," he said.
Social media videos showed citizens searching for victims in the wreckage of a four-storey hotel in Cali and a woman sprinting from a building as it collapsed in Manizales.
One video showed part of San José church in Pereira collapsing as palm trees around it shook. Another video published by the newspaper El Tiempo captured the moment a building gave way in Manizales.
The mayor of Cali, Alejandro Eder, said at least 20 buildings had collapsed in his city and that some people were trapped inside. He did not specify how many.
"Right now, we are trying to map out what has happened, firstly to protect lives and secondly to be able to push ahead with any kind of rescue that might be necessary," he said, urging citizens to stay calm.
He also told residents to check their buildings for structural damage. "If you do not feel safe, if you see very large cracks, please leave the building," he said.
The mayor of Pereira, Mauricio Salazar, declared a curfew. In an interview with local radio he said 65 buildings had collapsed, with victims thought to be trapped in at least 15 of them. Five of the city’s hospitals were reportedly inundated with the injured.
Raúl Andrés Buitrago, the head of customer service at a business in Pereira, described setting off for work when the seismic alert on his watch went off.
"There are often little tremors here," he said. "But I’d never felt an earthquake like this. It started softly, softly, softly, then it felt like it was getting stronger every second."
He spoke of "horrible" scenes as he fled outside on to the street in the city centre, which is home to many old buildings. "The roofs started to fall in. The buildings collapsed in on themselves. The panic was terrible. They were the four longest minutes of my life," he said.
The governor of Chocó, Nubia Carolina Córdoba, said people had been injured and buildings severely damaged in the department’s capital, Quibdó.
De la Espriella, who took office on Friday, flew to the capital, Bogotá, where he said he would lead the government response. "Colombia has a president whose heart aches for his people and who will do everything in his power to help them in the most difficult moments," he said in a video posted on his official social networks.
His office announced that he had ordered an immediate meeting of the national disaster management committee and said the government was "vigilant and in action". "We will keep Colombians informed," it said.
Aviation authorities said the airports in Pereira, Manizales, Quibdó, Cartago, Armenia and Buenaventura had sustained damage.
The earthquake comes weeks after Venezuela was struck by twin earthquakes that devastated the country’s northern coast, killing more than 6,000 people.
The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, said the Trump administration – which has thrown its weight behind Colombia’s new rightwing president – was monitoring the situation closely and stood ready to offer its support.
World Affairs Correspondent
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