A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck near the community of San Jose del Palmar in Colombia's western Choco region on Monday, killing at least 181 people and injuring approximately 2,595 others, according to Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella. The quake caused widespread destruction across the cities of Cali, Pereira, Manizales, Quibdo and Buenaventura, and was felt as far as Venezuela, Ecuador and Panama.
Death toll reaches 181 after magnitude 7.4 earthquake strikes western Colombia
A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck near the community of San Jose del Palmar in Colombia's western Choco region on Monday, killing at least 181 people and injuring approximately 2,595 others, according to Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella. The quake caused widespread destruction across the cities of Cali, Pereira, Manizales, Quibdo and Buenaventura, and was felt as far as Venezuela, Ecuador and Panama.
The cities of Cali and Pereira sustained the heaviest recorded losses, with Cali accounting for 85 deaths and Pereira 66, according to Deutsche Welle. The figures are considered incomplete, as they largely reflect major urban centres and do not yet capture casualties from rural communities near the epicentre.
President de la Espriella placed the number of missing persons at around 195, while civilian-run databases cited by Deutsche Welle indicate at least 3,900 people remain unaccounted for. Thousands are feared trapped beneath collapsed structures.
Approximately 1,600 buildings were damaged or destroyed, according to Deutsche Welle, with at least 165 structures completely collapsing in the four most severely affected cities alone. Hospitals, airports, public utilities and transport systems sustained damage across several western departments. Video from Pereira airport captured violent shaking and panic inside the terminal as the building began to fall apart, according to Al Jazeera.
Soldiers, emergency teams, and large numbers of volunteers have been clearing debris across dozens of towns and cities, with rescue workers forming lines to move chunks of concrete by hand. The cities of Pereira, Cali, Quibdo and Manizales remain on red alert. Al Jazeera's Latin America Editor Lucia Newman, reporting from the rubble of an apartment building in Cali, described an ongoing search for survivors.
Access to the epicentre area has been complicated by damaged roads and other infrastructure. Large parts of the region can only be reached by boat, aircraft or jungle routes, meaning the full extent of casualties and destruction near the epicentre remains unclear, according to Deutsche Welle.
According to Deutsche Welle, geologist Raul Perez of Spain's Geological and Mining Institute told the EFE news agency that the earthquake was a complex subduction event involving the Nazca and South American tectonic plates, striking at a depth of approximately 100 kilometres. Perez said a 'site effect' in certain areas amplified seismic waves as they passed through local geological formations, increasing both the intensity and duration of shaking. He described the combination of depth, magnitude and local amplification as an event warranting close study.
The United States has offered $15.5 million in emergency assistance, according to Deutsche Welle. The European Union activated its Copernicus satellite service to support rescue operations and provided an initial €100,000 in aid through the German Red Cross. Israel, Mexico, Chile, Argentina and El Salvador have also offered assistance, according to Deutsche Welle.
Where sources differ
- The number of missing persons differs between sources: President de la Espriella stated approximately 195 people are missing, while civilian-run databases cited by Deutsche Welle put the figure at at least 3,900 unaccounted for. No other source independently verifies either figure.
- The full casualty toll from rural communities and areas near the epicentre has not been established by any source.
- No source provides a breakdown of injuries by city or region.
- The Colombian government has not commented on the discrepancy between the official missing persons figure and the civilian database count.
- The condition and operational status of damaged hospitals and airports is not detailed in any source.
- The scale or deployment status of assistance pledged by Israel, Mexico, Chile, Argentina and El Salvador is not specified.
- The total number of people displaced or rendered homeless by the earthquake is not established.
- No source confirms whether any survivors have been extracted from the rubble following the rescue operations described.
- Deutsche Welle — original — by Richard Connor
- Al Jazeera English
- Al Jazeera English
Read the original at Deutsche Welle