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A powerful earthquake that struck Colombia on Monday has damaged nearly 5,000 homes and destroyed 387 more, with 61 buildings collapsing entirely, United Nations officials said Tuesday.
The magnitude 7.4 quake also affected more than 550 educational institutions and over 350 community centers across the country, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
At least 126 people were killed and 1,495 injured, official government figures show.
OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke, speaking to reporters in Geneva, said the disaster disrupted essential services, including electricity, water supplies, healthcare, and connectivity, in several cities, while 53 roads were affected nationwide.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported damage at 24 health facilities across six departments, with Valle del Cauca, a region in southwestern Colombia, suffering the most severe impact. Cali, the region's largest city, was among the worst affected.
Part of a tower housing cardiology and pediatric services at Hospital Universitario del Valle in Cali collapsed, while nearby Clinica Nuestra was fully evacuated, WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic said.
Damage to water systems has created additional operational challenges for health facilities in the affected areas, he added.
According to Laerke, Colombia had not yet made an official request for international assistance as of Tuesday.
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