Colombia Quake Kills At Least 132, Injures 570

At least 132 people have been killed and 570 injured after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia, bringing down buildings in several major cities and prompting the government to declare a national state of emergency.

The earthquake struck at 7:34 a.m. local time on Monday, with its epicenter in the San Jose del Palmar area of Choco, near the borders with Valle del Cauca and Risaralda. The U.S. Geological Survey put the depth at about 107 kilometers, while the Colombian Geological Service described it as the strongest earthquake recorded in the country in the 21st century. At least 21 aftershocks were reported within hours.

The Colombian Association of Capital Cities reported at least 132 deaths and 570 injuries across the affected regions. Early figures from President Abelardo de la Espriella had put the toll at 111 dead and 87 injured, with 61 buildings collapsed.

The worst damage was reported in the western departments of Cauca, Risaralda, Valle del Cauca, Choco, Caldas and Quindio. At least 60 people were reported killed in Cauca and 40 in Risaralda in the various preliminary counts, while Valle del Cauca recorded at least 27 deaths. Choco, which contains the epicenter, reported at least 12 deaths and 84 injuries, although communications outages made it difficult to establish the full extent of the damage.

Cali, Colombia's third-largest city, was among the hardest-hit areas. Local authorities said at least 20 buildings collapsed and about 380 others were damaged, with people feared trapped beneath the rubble. Rescue teams and residents worked together to search destroyed structures and remove debris.

“All of us neighbors are working together, forming human chains. We need heavy equipment. There are many people trapped,” Juan Carlos Osorio told Caracol Television while helping clear debris in Cali.

The city's mayor, Alejandro Eder, said authorities were working first to determine the extent of the damage and then concentrate on rescue operations. He urged residents to inspect their homes and leave buildings showing serious structural damage.

Pereira, the capital of Risaralda, also suffered extensive destruction. The city's mayor, Mauricio Salazar, said at least 15 collapsed buildings were believed to contain trapped people. Hospitals were overwhelmed with injured residents, while footage from the city showed parts of an airport ceiling falling as passengers sought shelter.

Manizales was also badly affected. Mayor Jorge Eduardo Rojas Giraldo said at least 12 buildings and 20 homes were partially or completely destroyed. Part of the city's landmark neo-Gothic cathedral collapsed, while other footage showed buildings giving way.

“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,” Rojas Giraldo warned residents.

The quake also caused widespread power and mobile communications outages. Aviation authorities suspended operations at airports in Pereira, Manizales, Quibdo, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura while engineers inspected the facilities for structural damage.

In Choco, authorities reported severe damage in the department's capital, Quibdo, while community leaders said many people were still missing. The disruption to communications in the region complicated efforts to assess casualties and organize the response.

The scale of the disaster prompted authorities in Cali, Pereira and Caldas to impose curfews, partly because of concerns about looting and partly to allow emergency crews to work without obstruction. Cali's mayor ordered the deployment of police and military personnel and said the city would receive additional rescue and security forces.

President de la Espriella, who took office only days before the earthquake, declared a national state of emergency and said the government had mobilized all available resources.

“The national government has all of its capabilities deployed to protect lives, assist affected communities and deliver aid wherever it is needed. The first priority is rescuing the people trapped under the rubble,” he said.

The president traveled to Quibdo and later to Cali to oversee the response. His government said representatives would coordinate unified command posts in the affected areas, while additional rescue workers and armed forces personnel were being sent to Cali. De la Espriella also promised rent assistance for people who had lost their homes.

The earthquake was felt well beyond the epicenter, including in neighboring Ecuador and Panama. Colombia lies along the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire, although earthquakes stronger than magnitude 6 are relatively uncommon. A magnitude 6.2 earthquake near Armenia in 1999 killed more than 1,100 people.

Seismologists said the depth of Monday's earthquake did not prevent it from causing severe shaking. Northwestern University seismologist Suzan van der Lee said its magnitude, inland location and movement along the fault may have contributed to the extensive damage in populated valleys.

“This one was far below the crust, and in theory, it shouldn't cause as much shaking. At this magnitude, it did actually cause a lot of shaking,” she told Reuters.

The disaster came only weeks after devastating earthquakes struck neighboring Venezuela, killing more than 5,000 people according to the supplied reports. The events have renewed concerns across the region about earthquake preparedness and emergency response.

International assistance began arriving in the form of pledges. The United States announced .5 million in emergency aid for shelter, food and other earthquake response needs. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington was closely monitoring the situation and was ready to support Colombia.

El Salvador, Mexico, Chile, Israel, Ecuador and France also offered assistance. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said her country was ready to provide whatever support Colombia required, while Chilean President Jose Antonio Kast said his country understood the challenges caused by major earthquakes and was prepared to help.

Search and rescue operations continued as authorities worked to determine the full extent of the destruction and locate people still missing. The immediate priority remained rescuing survivors from collapsed structures while engineers assessed damaged buildings and infrastructure across western Colombia.