A powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, killing at least 20 people and causing significant structural damage across multiple cities and provinces.
A strong earthquake measuring 7.4 magnitude struck western Colombia on Monday, leaving at least 20 people dead and triggering widespread damage across the country's coffee-growing region and Pacific coast. According to local authorities, the casualty toll included 18 deaths in the city of Pereira and two in Manizales, with additional reports of people trapped in collapsed buildings. The epicenter was located near San Jose del Palmar in Choco, a sparsely populated province on Colombia's Pacific coast, at a depth of approximately 96 kilometers.
Cali, one of Colombia's largest cities, reported at least 20 collapsed structures with people still trapped in the rubble. City authorities requested disaster response teams from Bogota and Medellin to assist in rescue operations. In Quibdo, the capital of Choco province, Governor Nubia Carolina Cordoba reported significant damage and injuries, warning residents to prepare for potential aftershocks. Governor Juan Diego Patino of neighboring Risaralda province confirmed that Pereira had experienced serious damage to multiple buildings.
The earthquake's impact was felt across nine departments and all 32 departmental capitals, prompting widespread evacuations. Colombia's civil aviation authority suspended flights at six regional airports including Pereira, Manizales, Quibdo, Armenia, Cartago, and Buenaventura pending structural safety inspections. The U.S. tsunami warning system indicated there was no tsunami threat following the quake. Reuters witnesses also reported the tremor was felt in Venezuela's border state of Tachira and the central-western city of Barquisimeto.
