Large earthquake hits western Colombia causing damage
A powerful earthquake, initially measured at magnitude 7.4, has struck Colombia. Tremors were also felt in neighboring Ecuador, as well as in Panama and Venezuela.
Early Monday morning, a powerful earthquake struck western Colombia near the Pacific coast. Six hours after the quake, President Abelardo de la Espriella announced that 111 people had been confirmed dead and 87 injured across the country. Rescue teams were working urgently to free trapped residents, as numerous buildings had collapsed in Cali and other cities.
The government declared a state of emergency, with President Espriella taking charge of the response efforts. The epicenter was located on the eastern tip of the Choco province on Colombia's Pacific coast, just south of the Tatama National Nature Reserve. The quake measured 7.4 on the US Geological Survey's scale, with a much deeper focus of roughly 107 kilometers below the ground.
Colombia's civil aviation authority reported damage to six airports, suspending flight operations while assessing structural damage. The Ring of Fire, the world's most active belt of tectonic plates and volcanoes, runs along Colombia's coastline near the quake's epicenter.
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