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At least 73 people have been confirmed dead after a powerful earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, collapsing buildings, trapping residents and sending people fleeing from their homes in several cities, including the capital Bogotá.
The Colombian Geological Service measured the earthquake at magnitude 6.6, while the US Geological Survey (USGS) recorded it at 7.4. The epicentre was located near San José del Palmar in the Chocó region, a community of around 4,800 people roughly 250 miles west of Bogotá.
According to the USGS, the earthquake occurred at a depth of 107 kilometres. Tremors were also felt in neighbouring Ecuador and Panama, although authorities in those countries reported little damage.
The largest number of deaths was recorded in Risaralda and Valle del Cauca. Officials said at least 40 people had died in Risaralda, which includes the city of Pereira, while 27 deaths were reported in Valle del Cauca, home to Colombia's third-largest city, Cali. Three of the victims in Valle del Cauca were children, according to the regional governor.
Four people were also reported dead in Chocó and two in Manizales, in the Caldas region. Numerous injuries were recorded elsewhere, although authorities were still assessing the scale of the damage.
More than 20 municipalities were affected, according to Colombia's interior minister. Residents and emergency workers joined search efforts at damaged sites, looking for people who may have been trapped beneath concrete and other debris.
In Cali, Mayor Alejandro Eder said people were trapped inside at least 19 collapsed buildings. The city's population is around two million.
Jorge Moncayo, a 64-year-old taxi driver in Cali, described seeing clouds of dust rise over the city as structures came down.
“My entire house shook,” he said. “I've never lived through such a powerful earthquake.”
Pereira was among the hardest-hit areas. Images carried by local media showed sections of the airport ceiling falling as passengers sheltered inside. Videos also showed people running through streets filled with rubble.
Pereira Mayor Mauricio Salazar told local radio that at least 18 people had died there and that others could still be trapped beneath collapsed structures.
In Manizales, part of the city's neo-Gothic cathedral collapsed onto the nave. Mayor Jorge Eduardo Rojas confirmed two deaths and urged residents to remain outside because of the possibility of further tremors.
Chocó, where the earthquake originated, also reported injuries and structural damage, although officials had released limited information from the rural region.
The Colombian Geological Service described the earthquake as the strongest recorded in the country in the past decade. Two aftershocks, measuring 2.8 and 4.8, were subsequently detected.
Flights were suspended at airports serving Manizales, Quibdó, Armenia, Cartago, Buenaventura and Pereira as authorities assessed the damage and safety of the facilities.
Earthquakes are relatively common in central and western Colombia, where smaller tremors are often referred to as “temblores”. However, earthquakes exceeding magnitude 6 are unusual. A magnitude 6.2 earthquake near Armenia in 1999 killed more than 1,100 people.
The disaster also came weeks after two major earthquakes struck neighbouring Venezuela in late June, killing more than 5,000 people and destroying hundreds of buildings. Families there were still searching through ruins for relatives when the Colombian earthquake struck.
President Abelardo de la Espriella, who was recently inaugurated, said he had assumed direct responsibility for the government's emergency response in San José del Palmar.
“You are not alone. The state is present and taking action,” he said.
