Natural disaster: Severe earthquake shakes Colombia

Bogota. A 7.4-magnitude earthquake in western Colombia caused numerous buildings to collapse on Monday. People were suspected to be trapped under the rubble in the large city of Cali. The tremors were also felt in the capital Bogota and in neighboring Venezuela. The US tsunami warning system gave the all-clear, stating that there was no risk of a tidal wave.

In Cali, at least 20 buildings collapsed, according to Mayor Alejandro Eder. People were trapped inside, he said. The city had requested rescue teams from Bogota and Medellin to help with the recovery efforts. Severe damage was also reported from other regions. The province of Choco on the Pacific coast was particularly affected, where the epicenter was near the town of San Jose del Palmar.

In the provincial capital Quibdo, there were injuries and significant damage to buildings, Governor Nubia Carolina Cordoba-Curi said on platform X. In the capital of the neighboring province of Risaralda, Pereira, facades had collapsed and people were injured, Governor Juan Diego Patino told local radio station Blu Radio.

The earthquake occurred at 7:34 am local time. The Colombian geological service UNGRD later corrected the magnitude of the earthquake to 7.4. Previously, the magnitude had been reported as 6.6. The focus of the earthquake was at a depth of 96 kilometers.

In Bogota, there were no major damages, according to Mayor Carlos Galan. The UNGRD was in contact with local authorities to determine the extent of the destruction. Eyewitnesses told the Reuters news agency that the earthquake was also felt in the Venezuelan border state of Tachira and in the city of Barquisimeto in the west of the country.

Venezuela was shaken by two devastating earthquakes in June, killing more than 6,000 people, most of them on the coast near the capital Caracas.