A magnitude-7.4 earthquake that struck western Colombia has left more than 100 people dead. Buildings collapsed in several cities and more residents were trapped in rubble, raising the possibility of further casualties.
On the 10th (local time), Reuters said Abelardo de la Espriella, Colombia's president, noted that so far 111 people have died and 87 have been injured in the quake. Sixty-one buildings were reported collapsed.
The Colombian government is prioritizing saving lives as it carries out search and rescue operations. For President Espriella, who officially took office on the 7th, the new administration faced a major disaster just days after launching.
Casualties were concentrated in Risaralda, a western highland region dense with coffee production. Juan Diego Patiño, governor of Risaralda, said in a local TV interview that 42 people have been confirmed dead in the department so far.
Pereira, the capital of Risaralda, lies about 60 kilometers east of the epicenter. On social media (SNS), videos were shared showing buildings collapsing in Pereira and citizens evacuating in haste.
In Manizales, north of Pereira, three people also died. According to Manizales Mayor Jorge Eduardo Rojas, the quake caused the spire of a local Gothic-style cathedral to collapse.
In the Pacific port city of Buenaventura, a building collapsed and several people were trapped in the debris, and one of them died, Mayor Lihia del Carmen Cordoba said.
Cali, Colombia's third-largest city with a population of about 2 million, also reported damage. Local authorities have not yet announced an official death toll. Cali Mayor Alejandro Eder told local media that at least 30 buildings had collapsed and rescue operations were underway at 10 of them. Eder asked the capital, Bogota, and the second-largest city, Medellin, to dispatch emergency rescue teams.
Choco, where the epicenter is located, also suffered damage. Choco Governor Nubia Cordoba said on X (formerly Twitter), "A short while ago we experienced a strong earthquake in Choco and we are concerned about aftershocks."
She added, "The epicenter is San Jose del Palmar, but in the departmental capital of Quibdo there were injuries and buildings suffered serious damage," explaining that authorities are assessing the situation.
Airports were also affected. According to Colombia's aviation authority, after the quake, damage was reported at six western airports: Pereira, Manizales, Quibdo, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura.
A preliminary analysis by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake struck at about 7:34 a.m. near San Jose del Palmar in the Pacific department of Choco, with a magnitude of 7.4. The New York Times (NYT), citing Colombia's Geological Survey, reported that it was the most powerful quake in Colombia in the past 10 years.
The region has suffered major earthquakes before. According to Reuters, a magnitude-6.2 quake in 1999 in the areas of Pereira and Armenia killed more than 1,000 people.
The Colombian government declared a national state of emergency to respond to the earthquake damage. President Espriella said on X that he had ordered the convening of a unified command to oversee damage assessment and aid to the displaced, adding, "I will personally lead measures to support all affected communities."
The quake struck about a month and a half after a series of strong earthquakes hit northern Venezuela on June 24. At that time, the official death toll has surpassed 6,000 so far.