Colombia Earthquake Kills Dozens as De la Espriella Faces His First Crisis
A powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, killing at least 69 people, toppling buildings in four cities and closing six airports as the new government took charge of the response. The post Colombia Earthquake Kills Dozens as De la Espriella Faces His First Crisis appeared first on The Rio Times .
A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday morning, killing at least 69 people and prompting President Abelardo de la Espriella to face his first national emergency. The quake hit around 7:34 a.m. local time, centered 5 kilometers east of San José del Palmar in the jungle department of Chocó. The tremor was felt across much of Colombia and into neighboring Ecuador and Panama, causing buildings to sway hundreds of kilometers from the epicenter.
The U.S. Geological Survey measured the quake at magnitude 7.4, with a focus 107 kilometers below the surface, making it too deep to generate a tsunami. By midday, the death toll surpassed five dozen, with the dead including 40 in Risaralda, 27 in Valle del Cauca, and two in Manizales. The disaster forced six airports to suspend operations, disrupting travel into the worst-hit areas.
President de la Espriella took personal charge of the response, suspending his agenda in Bogotá and traveling to Pereira, near the epicenter.
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