Magnitude 7.4 Earthquake Devastates Western Colombia, Killing at Least 111

The strongest earthquake to hit Colombia in a decade struck the western Chocó region Monday morning, collapsing buildings across multiple cities including Cali, Pereira, and Manizales. At least 111 people are confirmed dead and 87 injured, with the toll expected to rise.

A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia at 7:34 a.m. local time on Monday, rattling much of the country and setting off a desperate search for survivors in the rubble of collapsed buildings across several major cities.

At least 111 people were killed and 87 others were injured, according to Colombian President Abelardo De La Espriella, who said at least 1,575 homes, 18 health centers, and 52 schools had been damaged. The death toll is expected to rise as rescue crews and residents continue digging through flattened structures.

The epicenter, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, was about 3 miles east of San José del Palmar, a town of roughly 5,000 people in the Chocó region — one of the poorest parts of Colombia. Two aftershocks, measuring 2.8 and 4.8 in magnitude, followed the initial quake, and tremors were felt as far away as Panama, Ecuador, and Venezuela.

Widespread Destruction Across the Coffee Region

Videos from the scene showed partially collapsed buildings in Cali, Colombia's third-largest city with approximately two million residents, as well as in Pereira and Manizales, two cities that serve as hubs of the country's coffee-growing region.

In the town of Calima El Darién, three children were killed when a wall collapsed, according to regional governor Dilian Francisca Toro. She reported that one hospital had collapsed entirely, another was overwhelmed with victims, and patients were being evacuated from a third facility.

The Colombian Geological Survey said the quake was the strongest recorded in the country in the last decade.

Regional Context

The earthquake comes just weeks after devastating twin quakes in neighboring Venezuela killed more than 6,000 people, compounding a humanitarian crisis across the region. Venezuela, still in recovery, also felt Monday's tremors.

Rescue operations are ongoing, with emergency responders working through damaged infrastructure to reach remote communities in the mountainous Chocó region.

Sources: The New York Times, BBC News