At least 20 dead after powerful earthquake strikes western Colombia
A magnitude 7.4 earthquake hit Colombia and neighboring countries on Monday, killing at least 20 people and causing significant building damage, with the town of Pereira hit hardest.
A powerful earthquake struck Colombia and rattled several neighboring Latin American countries on Monday, leaving at least 20 people dead and causing widespread damage, injuries and evacuations, including in the capital, Bogota.
The town of Pereira suffered the heaviest toll, with 18 people confirmed dead, according to Mayor Mauricio Salazar, who told Caracol Radio that others remained trapped inside collapsed buildings. He described the situation as critical. The quake was centered in the neighboring Choco province.
Estimates of the quake's strength varied between agencies: Colombia's geological service recorded a magnitude of 6.6, while the US Geological Survey (USGS) measured it at 7.4, with a depth of around 100 kilometers in western Colombia.
Damage reported across multiple cities
The tremor was felt as far as Ecuador and Panama to the north. In Bogota, AFP reporters witnessed building evacuations, while some residents fled into the streets in their pajamas as emergency sirens sounded.
The governor of Choco province reported on X that there were injuries and serious structural damage in the provincial capital, Quibdo. The mayor of Cali, Colombia's third-largest city, also reported major damage. Television footage showed buildings with facades torn off by the force of the quake.
The disaster follows twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24, measuring magnitude 7.2 and 7.5, which killed more than 6,000 people and caused devastating property damage.