Search and rescue efforts continued into Tuesday across dozens of cities and towns in western Colombia following a powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake that struck the region on Monday. According to official figures, at least 132 people have been confirmed dead, while Colombia’s Association of Capital Cities reported in a statement update on Monday that more than 480 people were injured. The earthquake struck at 07:34 (12:34 GMT) at a depth of 103km (64 miles) in Chocó province, according to the country’s geological service.
Widespread Damage and Emergency Response
The tremor was felt across an enormous area, stretching for hundreds of miles. Around 1,600 buildings were reported damaged or collapsed across the region. In the city of Pereira, local authorities reported at least 40 deaths within the metropolitan area and 65 collapsed buildings, with people believed to be trapped in 15 of them. In Cali, located approximately 160km south of Pereira and 200km from the epicenter, 32 buildings collapsed. Further reports of deaths were confirmed in Manizales, Quibdó, and Medellín, as well as across the Chocó and Valle del Cauca regions.
Colombia searches for missing after earthquake kills more than
In the city of Pereira, a curfew was implemented until 05:00 local time on Tuesday. Soldiers, rescue personnel, and families have been working to clear debris, removing large pieces of concrete by hand. The scale of the disaster has left many in the nation unsettled, particularly as it follows back-to-back earthquakes that devastated neighboring Venezuela in late June, which destroyed hundreds of buildings and resulted in more than 6,300 deaths.
Chocó Province and Government Intervention
The epicenter of the quake was near the village of San José del Palmar in Chocó province. Chocó is described as one of the poorest and most neglected regions of Colombia, often beset by warring armed groups, and much of the area is accessible only by boat, through the jungle, or by airplane. Despite the proximity of the epicenter to San José del Palmar, local mayor León Fabio Marín Moncada stated that there had miraculously been no deaths or injuries there, though roads in and out of the village were damaged.
President Abelardo de la Espriella, who was sworn in as Colombia’s leader on Friday, traveled to the Chocó capital of Quibdó on Monday night to assess the situation. He announced the mobilization of すべての軍および警察の機関 を対応に充てることを発表し、エンジニア、救助隊員、捜索犬を派遣した。同地域の軽視されてきた歴史に触れ、Abelardo de la Espriellaは、Chocoが二度と「忘れ去られた土地」になることはないと断言した。De la Espriella also announced rental subsidies for residents whose homes were damaged while they undergo repairs.
The Search for the Missing
At least 132 killed in Colombia's largest earthquake in
By Monday night, more than 2,700 people had been reported missing, with families posting information about loved ones on citizen-run websites. Among the missing is 60-year-old Miguel Ángel Zamora, a farmer from a rural area of El Cairo, a town where local authorities estimated 80% of the town’s 7,000 residents suffered property damage. His niece, Dana Carolina Zamora, expressed her uncertainty, stating that they were afraid and hoping that he was all right and that it was merely a failure in communications, but noting that they had heard nothing from him.
For survivors, the experience has been harrowing. Mónica Sánchez, who operates a uniform manufacturing company in Pereira, escaped with her 12 workers just before a wall inside her factory collapsed. Mónica Sánchezは、街が目の前で崩れ落ちるような衝撃的な光景だったと語った。Dan Cutler, a 29-year-old from London currently in Cali, described the scene to the BBC: Dan Cutlerは、パジャマ姿で外へ駆け出し、滞在先のホテルに主要な構造的損傷はないものの、壁にひびが入り、塗装や漆喰が剥がれ落ちている状況だと説明した。
International support has begun to mobilize, with the U.S. State Department announcing it would provide $15.5 million for emergency shelter, food, and other aid. Governments across Latin America have also lined up to offer assistance.