A powerful earthquake measuring 7.4 on the magnitude scale hit western Colombia early Monday morning, leaving at least 111 people dead and 87 injured. The tremor struck near San Jose del Palmar in the sparsely populated province of Choco along the Pacific coast. It was felt across major cities throughout the country and caused widespread damage in several areas.
The epicenter was located at a depth of about 107 kilometers according to the US Geological Survey. Despite the depth, the shaking proved intense enough to topple buildings and trap many residents under rubble. The hardest hit regions appear to be Risaralda in the coffee growing zone and the city of Cali, one of Colombia’s largest urban centers. Local officials in Cali had not yet confirmed exact death figures there at the time of early reports, but residents described scenes of chaos.
“The building completely collapsed. It sounded like a bomb. It was horrible,” said Juan Carlos Osorio while helping clear debris in Cali. Neighbors formed human chains to dig through the wreckage and urgently called for heavy equipment as many people remained trapped.
The disaster came just days after Abelardo De La Espriella took office as president. In a national address around 1 p.m. local time, he declared a state of emergency and stated that the national government had deployed all available resources. “The first priority is rescuing the people trapped under the rubble,” the president emphasized. He also pledged full support for affected communities and rapid delivery of aid wherever needed.
Flights were suspended at airports in Pereira, Manizales, Quibdo, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura while authorities inspected runways and terminals for structural damage. Seismologist Suzan van der Lee of Northwestern University noted that the inland location near soft river valleys and the movement of tectonic plates likely intensified the impact. A magnitude 7.4 quake is roughly 32 times more powerful than a 6.4 event, she explained.
Colombia regularly experiences thousands of small tremors each month, yet stronger events can still prove devastating. The coffee region cities of Armenia and Pereira suffered a deadly 6.2 magnitude quake in 1999 that killed more than 1,000 people. Memories of recent twin earthquakes in neighboring Venezuela remain fresh as the new administration faces its first major crisis.
Rescue efforts continue as teams work around the clock to reach those still buried under collapsed structures. Authorities urge residents in affected zones to remain cautious of aftershocks while aid and emergency services pour into the hardest hit areas.
