At least 132 killed as powerful 7.4 earthquake strikes Colombia

At least 132 people were killed and 570 injured after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, bringing down buildings and setting off large-scale rescue operations across several cities.

The earthquake struck at 7.34 a.m. local time (12:34 p.m. GMT), with its epicenter about 5 kilometers (3.11 miles) east of San Jose del Palmar in Choco Department and at a depth of 107 kilometers, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Less than an hour after the initial earthquake, a magnitude 5.0 aftershock struck about 16 kilometers west of San Jose del Palmar, a municipality with roughly 4,800 residents.

Colombia declared a national disaster to step up the emergency response, while President Abelardo De La Espriella took direct leadership and ordered a unified command post to coordinate rescue and relief efforts.

Authorities reported damage to more than 1,500 homes, including dozens that were completely destroyed, while health centers, schools, community facilities and roads were also affected.

Risaralda reported at least 40 deaths as rescue operations continued, while Pereira Mayor Mauricio Salazar confirmed that at least 18 people had been killed in the city.

Valle del Cauca Governor Dilian Francisca Toro reported at least 27 deaths in the department, while Cali Mayor Alejandro Eder said at least 20 buildings had collapsed with people trapped inside.

Choco Governor Nubia Carolina Cordoba Curi reported four deaths and 69 injuries, while firefighters in the departmental capital Quibdo said people remained trapped inside damaged structures.

Manizales reported at least two deaths and more than 32 buildings partially or completely destroyed, while authorities suspended academic activities and dealt with gas and electricity leaks.

Images from Manizales showed one of the main towers of the city's iconic cathedral suffering severe structural damage and leaning against the building's central structure.

Damage was reported at Cali's Alfonso Bonilla Aragon Airport, while operations at several other airports were halted for structural checks. Popayan Airport was suspended because of volcanic ash from the Purace volcano following seismic activity.
 

Emergency sirens sent thousands of people into the streets of Bogota, although Mayor Carlos Fernando Galan reported no serious structural damage and said 100 rescuers were ready to head to the worst-hit areas.
 

The Sumapaz Tunnel and Mariano Ospina Bridge were closed for inspections as authorities checked whether critical infrastructure could safely remain in operation after the earthquake.

Strong shaking was also reported in Ecuador and Panama, while authorities ruled out a tsunami threat and experts described the earthquake as one of Colombia's strongest of the century.