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A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, killing at least 111 people across Colombia.
The epicenter of the quake was in San José del Palmar, Choco department, about 240 kilometers (150 miles) west of Bogotá, and the quake was at a depth of 107 kilometers (107 kilometers) at 7:34 a.m. local time (8:34 a.m. Miami time), the USGS reported.
Authorities earlier told local media that dozens of people were killed in the Risaralda area alone. Deaths, injuries and damage to buildings were also reported in the areas of Valle del Cauca, Caldas, Antioquia and Chocó.
Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriela, who just took office on Friday, declared a national state of disaster to help mobilize additional resources to the worst-hit areas.
Major earthquake hits Colombia, killing more than 100 people
A powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake was recorded in western Colombia on Monday, leaving at least 111 people confirmed dead and dozens injured, President Abelardo de la Espriela announced.
Dozens more people were injured and hundreds of homes and buildings were destroyed, the president said.
In Cali, Colombia’s third-largest city, at least 30 buildings collapsed and people were trapped under rubble, Mayor Alejandro Eder said. He urged people to check infrastructure for “structural damage” and evacuate if they find “major cracks”.
Dillian Francisca Toro, governor of the Valle del Cauca region, said several patients were trapped under the rubble of a partially destroyed hospital in Cali.
It is one of several medical institutions in the city that have been closed and evacuated due to building damage, according to the local government.
“Our top priority is to try to rescue those who are still under the rubble,” the president said.
Other regional leaders have pledged to step up rescue efforts, and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has offered her government’s support.
The powerful earthquake in Colombia comes weeks after twin earthquakes struck neighboring Venezuela in late June, killing at least 6,300 people, displacing nearly 18,000 residents and separating many survivors from loved ones. Some of those shocks were felt in Colombia at the time. The most populous cities believed to have been affected by Monday’s earthquake include Zarzal, Pereira and Armenia, the USGS said.
According to the country’s Civil Aviation Authority, the earthquake damaged airports in six Colombian cities: Pereira, Manizales, Quibdo, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura, and flight operations were suspended.
Strong shaking was felt in the capital, alarms were sounded and people were evacuated to the streets in many buildings as a precaution. “There are no reports of injuries or structural damage at this time. There are only some cracks in the building,” Bogota Mayor Carlos Galán told X.
According to the scale used by the USGS, a total of more than 2 million people would be exposed to extremely strong shaking during an earthquake, which could cause “significant damage to poorly constructed buildings.” The agency estimates a significant number of deaths, with an approximately 1 in 3 chance of more than 1,000 deaths.
This story has been updated with additional information.
CNN’s Brandon Miller contributed reporting.
