At least 20 killed as 7.4 earthquake strikes western Colombia

A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia early Monday morning, killing at least 20 people, collapsing dozens of buildings and trapping residents beneath rubble across several cities in what authorities described as a critical emergency.

The quake hit at 7:34 a.m. local time with its epicenter near San Jose del Palmar, a small community of about 4,800 people in the Choco region roughly 400 kilometers west of Bogota, according to the U.S. Geological Survey and Colombia's geological service. The USGS recorded the quake at a depth of approximately 107 kilometers. There was no tsunami threat.thestandard+3

Casualties and Destruction

In Pereira, a city in Colombia's coffee-growing region, Mayor Mauricio Salazar told Caracol Radio that 18 people were killed and others remained trapped in collapsed structures, calling the situation "critical". In Manizales, Mayor Jorge Eduardo Rojas confirmed two deaths and said more than 12 buildings and 20 homes had been partially or completely destroyed. One of the towers of the city's neo-Gothic cathedral collapsed onto the nave.newindianexpress+3

In Cali, Colombia's third-largest city with a population of 2 million, Mayor Alejandro Eder reported that at least 20 structures had collapsed with people trapped inside, and requested emergency rescue teams from Bogota and Medellin. Choco Governor Nubia Carolina Cordoba said on X that there were "injuries and significant damage to buildings" in the provincial capital of Quibdo.aljazeera+3

Emergency Response

Colombia's civil aviation authority suspended flights at six airports — in Pereira, Manizales, Quibdo, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura — while inspectors assessed structural damage. The country's disaster agency said it had received reports from nine departments and all 32 departmental capitals where the quake was felt.cyprus-mail+1

President Abelardo de la Espriella, who took office just days ago, said he had personally taken charge of the government's response. "You are not alone. The state is present and taking action," he said.kjrh+1

A Shaken Region

The earthquake was felt across a wide area, including in Bogota, where residents fled buildings in their pajamas as emergency sirens sounded, and in neighboring Ecuador, Panama and Venezuela. Small earthquakes are common in central and western Colombia, but those above magnitude 6.0 are rare. In 1999, a 6.2-magnitude quake near Armenia killed more than 1,100 people.islamabadpost+3

Monday's disaster comes weeks after back-to-back 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes struck Venezuela in late June, killing more than 6,000 people and devastating the northern coast.irishexaminer+1