An earthquake in Western Colombia on Monday killed over 130 people, with the death toll expected to rise, international media agencies reported.
The 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck the nation’s coffee-growing region, with search operations to locate trapped survivors under flattened homes and collapsed buildings continuing into a second day.
More than 500 people were injured in the disaster, with death toll estimates ranging from 137 reported by some international agencies to 164 reported by Reuters.
Background
The earthquake hit major urban centers like Cali and Pereira on Monday morning, collapsing multi-story structures and cracking a historic cathedral tower in Manizales.
In Cali, home to 2.2 million people, at least 85 residents were killed as dozens of structures were destroyed or left leaning precariously.
The disaster has drawn comparisons to Colombia’s deadly 1999 earthquake in the same region that killed over 1,000 people, as well as June quakes in neighboring Venezuela that killed 6,300.
Aftermath
Newly appointed President Abelardo De La Espriella declared curfews in Cali and Pereira while deploying 1,000 security personnel to combat reports of looting.
Emergency workers, police, soldiers, and local volunteers worked through the night using excavators and bare hands to rescue survivors trapped under the rubble.
Hospital operations in Cali were severely disrupted after top floors collapsed, forcing medical staff to treat around 600 patients on rubble-strewn streets.
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