Rescue teams search collapsed structures for survivors after a magnitude-7.4 earthquake struck Colombia. Photo: Ernesto Guzman Jr. (EFE)
At least 132 people have died and more than 570 have been injured after a magnitude-7.4 earthquake struck Colombia on Monday, as rescue teams continued searching for survivors in the hardest-hit areas and five capital cities remained under red alert.
The death toll is preliminary as authorities continue assessing damage and needs across the affected areas. Eighty-seven of the 132 deaths were recorded in capital cities, the Association of Colombian Capital Cities (Asocapitales) said in its latest update.
More than 180 military personnel are involved in searches for people trapped under rubble. Aircraft from the Colombian Aerospace Force are transporting Army rescue teams to the worst-affected areas, including Quibdó, Armenia, Pereira, Manizales and Cali, in coordination with the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management and local authorities.
Pereira bears the heaviest toll
Pereira has recorded 60 deaths, the highest toll among the affected capital cities. Cali has reported 15 deaths, Quibdó eight and Manizales four. Armenia has reported no fatalities so far.
In Pereira, 16 people remain trapped in the city’s cable-car system, while two buildings have collapsed and rescue operations are continuing at 15 critical sites. The municipal administration has imposed an exceptional curfew.
Matecaña Airport remains closed after part of the terminal roof collapsed, an incident that caused three of the deaths recorded in the city.
Cali is facing the greatest pressure on its hospital system. In addition to the 15 fatalities, the city has reported 380 injured people, 20 collapsed structures with people trapped inside, three collapsed roads and 10 hospitals out of service. Mayor Alejandro Eder said he had requested specialized search-and-rescue teams from Bogotá and Medellín.
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Text Reads: Earthquake in Colombia leaves 132 dead and five cities on red alert
In Quibdó, the capital of Chocó, where the earthquake was centered, eight people have died and 36 have been injured. Six people remain trapped inside a building in the Medrano neighborhood, while four children are missing at Carrasquilla Educational Institution, where one building block collapsed completely. Structural damage was also reported at the Technological University of Chocó and Claretiana University.
Manizales has reported four deaths, 17 destroyed buildings and 19 partially collapsed structures, including a tower of the Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica and facilities belonging to the National University.
Armenia has reported 67 injured people and five collapsed buildings, as well as damage to the control tower and runway at El Edén Airport.
Across the affected areas, Asocapitales reported 86 collapsed buildings and seven airports with operations suspended: Pereira, Manizales, Cali, Quibdó, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura. Bogotá and Medellín have not reported significant structural damage and have sent rescue and structural-engineering teams to assist the hardest-hit regions.
Strongest earthquake felt in Colombia in a decade
The Colombian Geological Service said the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.4 and was centered in the municipality of San José del Palmar, in Chocó in northwestern Colombia. Its director general, Julio Fierro Morales, said it was the strongest earthquake felt in Colombia in the past decade.
The earthquake affected nine departments and was felt in all 32 capital cities, where evacuations and damage were reported, said Javier Pava, director of the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management.
The Geological Service also recorded aftershocks, including one measuring 4.6 with an epicenter in Nóvita, Chocó, and another measuring 4.8 in San José del Palmar.
Government directs rescue response
President Abelardo de la Espriella said he would personally oversee the national response and ordered emergency agencies to prioritize the search for and rescue of people trapped beneath collapsed structures.
“I have issued a peremptory order as head of state and head of government,” the president said. “The first priority is to rescue the people who are under the rubble. That is the priority: to rescue those who are still under the rubble.”
Antioquia declared a red hospital alert to activate its healthcare network, receive patients from other departments and place them in hospitals with available beds regardless of their healthcare affiliation or economic circumstances.
The national government has also formed teams led by ministers and Vice President José Manuel Restrepo to travel to affected departments and coordinate the response with regional authorities, the security forces and rescue organizations.
Authorities continue to update the casualty count and damage assessment as search-and-rescue operations proceed.
(teleSUR) by MK
