Bogota: At least 132 people have been killed and more than 570 injured after a magnitude‑7.4 earthquake tore through western Colombia on Monday, the Colombian government said in its latest update.
Authorities warned the death toll is likely to rise as emergency crews continue pulling survivors and bodies from collapsed homes, offices and public buildings across the worst‑hit zones.
President Abelardo de la Espriella, speaking from Bogotá, said the tremor damaged 1,575 houses and knocked out infrastructure at six airports, where commercial flights have been suspended while engineers inspect runways and terminals, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
The government earlier declared a state of national disaster to fast‑track emergency powers, resource deployment and coordination with local administrations.
According to the Colombian Geological Service, the quake struck at 7:34 a.m. local time in western Colombia. Its epicentre was near San José del Palmar, in the Chocó department, at a depth of 96 km.
The association said it is maintaining close contact with the capitals of affected departments and communicating with local mayors and their teams to follow the latest developments, assess damage and identify the most urgent relief needs.
Massive Rescue Operations Under Way
Across the worst-hit zones, residents and officials have launched a large-scale search-and-rescue operation to locate survivors after the powerful tremor near San José del Palmar in Chocó, with heavy damage reported in Cali, Manizales and Pereira, as reported by Hindustan Times.
Although at least 132 people have already been confirmed dead, that number expected to rise significantly in the coming hours and days. Thousands of homes have also reportedly collapsed or been damaged.
Pereira reported 60 deaths and emerged as the worst-hit city, according to the Colombian Association of Capital Cities, following a disaster response meeting with President Gustavo Petro.
Cali Hospital Collapse: Patients Pinned Under Debris
Rescue teams were searching for patients trapped under rubble after parts of a hospital in Cali, western Colombia, collapsed in the earthquake.
Sections of Cali’s University Hospital, including its pediatrics department, “have collapsed,” Valle del Cauca Governor Dilian Francisca Toro told local media. “Consequently, there are people trapped,” she said in a video posted on X, adding that firefighters and the army were “working to get them”.
According to the United States Geological Survey, Monday’s magnitude‑7.4 tremor was generated mainly by strike‑slip faulting at an intermediate depth of about 110 km. In such quakes, crustal blocks slide laterally past each other along a near‑vertical fault, rather than thrusting up or down.
The event follows roughly a month after Venezuela’s destructive seismic doublet, which satellite analysis suggests damaged or destroyed about 58,870 buildings and killed thousands across affected regions.
World Leaders Extend Condolences, Pledge Aid
Leaders across the world express solidarity and support for the people of Colombia. French President Immannuel Macron stated that Colombia can count on France’s friendship and support and expressed solidarity.
“In the face of the terrible earthquake that has struck Colombia, I extend, on behalf of France, my most sincere thoughts to the Colombian people. I think of the victims, their families, the injured, and all those who have been affected by this disaster. Our solidarity also goes to the rescue teams and all those who are working, with courage, to assist the affected populations. In this ordeal, Colombia can count on our friendship and our support,” Macron wrote on X.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said that she is anxiously following the updates on the violent earthquake that struck Colombia. “In these difficult hours, Italy stands in solidarity with the Colombian people, the affected families, and all those engaged in rescue and assistance operations,” she stated on X.
