M7.4 earthquake hits western Colombia, serious damages reported from Cali, Quibdo and Manizales
An M7.4 earthquake hit western Colombia on Monday, leaving collapsed buildings in the cities of Cali and Manizales.
The earthquake struck around 7:30 and had its epicenter in San Jose del Palmar, a municipality in the Choco province.
In the hour that followed, locals began reporting collapsed buildings in the cities of Cali, Pereira and Manizales, where a tower of the cathedral collapsed.
In Cali, an unknown number of people would be trapped under the rubble of two buildings and the local airport was reportedly closed.
Large parts of the roof of the Pereira airport came down, according to local media.
In Quibdo, the capital of Choco, a four-story building reportedly collapsed. Multiple people would have been injured, Governor Nubia Carolina Cordoba said on social media platform X.
The earthquake was also felt strongly in the capital Bogota and in Medellin where no injuries were reported.
In an initial response, President Abelardo de la Espriella said on social media platform X that he had “personally taken charge of the emergency response in San José del Palmar.”
“I will also be in Pereira in person to stand with those affected and monitor the government’s response,” said De la Espriella, who took office on Friday and has yet to appoint a director of disaster response agency UNGRD.
According to the Colombian Geological Service, the earthquake was the strongest in Colombia of the past decade.
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