A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Western Colombia on Monday, August 10, at about 7:34 am local time. The US Geological Survey (USGS) placed the earthquake at a depth of approximately 107 km, while Colombia's Geological Service described it as the strongest earthquake recorded in the country during the 21st century.
The earthquake was felt across large parts of Colombia and also in neighbouring Ecuador and Panama, AP reported. Pereira, Cali, Quibdó and Manizales were among the areas that reported significant damage.
The earthquake was centred near San José del Palmar in the Chocó department, killing at least 111 people and injuring 87, according to the figured reported by President Abelardo de la Espriella, as cited by Reuters. However, casualty figures were continuing to change as authorities reached remote areas, and El País later reported a toll of 132 deaths and 570 injuries.
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Government figures cited by AP indicated that more than 1,500 structures were damaged, while at least 61 buildings completely collapsed in the affected areas.
Videos circulating online showed buildings shaking and collapsing, while frightened residents ran outdoors as debris fell around them.
The earthquake also disrupted aviation in wester Colombia, with authorities suspending operations at several airports while engineers conducted structural inspections, Reuters reported.
The airports affected included Pereira, Manzales, Quibdó, Armenia and Cartago and Bunaventura according to the report.
Videos from the Pereira Airport showed travellers reacting in panic as parts of the ceiling fell during the tremor, AP reported.
Emergency crews and local residents joined rescue operations, with firefighters and volunteers searching collapsed structures for survivors and manually clearing debris as reported by Reuters.
A firefighter in Cali told Reuters that rescuers had pulled two women and teo children from a collapsed building while continuing searches for other survivors.
Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella, who had only recently taken office, declared a national emergency and directed authorities to prioritise the rescue of people trapped beneath the rubble.
Rescue efforts were complicated by communication problems in parts of remote Chocó, making it difficult for the authorities immediately assess the full extent of the destruction, Reuters reported.
The earthquake was followed by aftershocks, with Colombia's Geological Service recorded additional seismic activity as emergency operations continued. Colombo lies along the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire, making earthquakes relatively common. Northwestern University seismologist Suzan van der lee told Reuters that the earthquake's powerful magnitude, inland location and strike slip movement may have contributed to the severe shaking in populated valleys despite its considerable depth.
The latest disaster has drawn comparisons from the 1999 earthquake in Colombia's coffee growing region, which killed more than 1,000 people.
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