At least 82 killed after powerful earthquake hits western Colombia

At least 82 individuals lost their lives after a powerful earthquake struck western Colombia early Monday, collapsing buildings in several cities and leaving others trapped. This quake occurred just days after President Abelardo De La Espriella's swearing-in ceremony, placing the new administration in its first major crisis. Remnants of devastating twin earthquakes in neighboring Venezuela, which occurred in June, still linger in the memory of Colombians.

The 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck near San Jose del Palmar in Choco province, a sparsely populated area on Colombia's Pacific Coast. However, its impact was felt throughout the country. The U.S. Geological Survey reported that the quake originated at a depth of 107 km (66 miles), with significant casualties and damage likely, according to the agency.

Governor Juan Diego Patino of Risaralda province, Colombia's coffee-growing region, reported 42 fatalities, the highest death toll among the affected areas. Cali, one of Colombia's largest cities, suffered extensive damage, with at least 30 buildings collapsing and rescue teams working at 10 of them. Colombian Red Cross workers and firefighters were seen carrying survivors on stretchers from collapsed buildings, with one witness describing the impact as sounding like a bomb.

In Pereira, the capital of Risaralda, images shared on social media showed a building with a cracked facade collapsing, sending up a cloud of dust and debris. Another tower atop a neo-Gothic cathedral in Manizales also toppled during the quake. Choco province, closest to the epicenter, reported fatalities, injuries, and heavy damage in Quibdo, the provincial capital. Governor Nubia Carolina Cordoba-Curi warned residents about potential aftershocks.

Colombia is no stranger to natural disasters, with smaller earthquakes frequent and landslides historically being the deadliest. In 1985, the Armero disaster killed approximately 25,000 people, while a 6.2 magnitude quake in 1999 claimed over 1,000 lives in the coffee-growing region. President De La Espriella, a right-wing politician without prior elected office, suspended his activities to lead emergency coordination efforts from Bogota.

His government declared a state of emergency to coordinate rescue operations, and flights were suspended at airports in Pereira, Manizales, Quibdo, Armenia, Cartago, and Buenaventura while inspectors checked for structural damage.