More than 100 killed after strongest quake this century hits western Colombia

A powerful earthquake measuring 7.4 struck western Colombia on Monday, claiming over 100 lives and causing significant damage to buildings, hospitals, and infrastructure. This was the strongest earthquake recorded in Colombia during the 21st century. The quake occurred just days after Abelardo De La Espriella was inaugurated as president, plunging his administration into its first major crisis.

Colombian authorities declared a national state of emergency, deploying all available resources to rescue trapped individuals, aid affected communities, and provide necessary assistance. President De La Espriella visited Quibdo, the capital of coastal Choco province, promising rent subsidies for those who had lost their homes and toured Cali, the country's largest city.

While he initially reported 35 deaths in Valle del Cauca province, where Cali is located, and 700 injuries, other sources suggested the actual death toll could be as high as 132. In Cali, authorities imposed curfews due to concerns of looting, and the Petronio Alvarez festival, an annual celebration, was postponed. Rescue workers and volunteers worked tirelessly to locate survivors buried under the rubble, with some successfully saving individuals such as a six-month-old baby and her mother from a five-story building in Cali.

In Pereira, a young boy was reported trapped under a bakery, and a four-story building collapsed, causing extensive damage. Colombia, situated along the Pacific Ring of Fire, is prone to numerous minor earthquakes each month, but the magnitude, inland location, and strike-slip motion of this quake may have contributed to its devastating impact on populated areas.