Colombia Earthquake Kills 111, Many Trapped in Rubble

A 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, killing at least 111 people and leaving scores trapped beneath collapsed buildings, as rescue teams and volunteers scrambled to find survivors. The quake, centered near the remote community of San Jose Del Palmar in the Choco region, also injured at least 87 people and damaged about 1,600 buildings, including more than 60 that were completely destroyed, officials said.

Rescue efforts in Cali and other cities

In Cali, Colombia's third-largest city, search teams and residents worked side by side, passing chunks of concrete and other debris down long lines of volunteers in a desperate search for survivors. Taxi driver Jorge Moncayo described the moment the shaking began: "My entire house shook. I've never lived through such a powerful earthquake. We're thanking God we're alive." The chaotic scenes echoed the aftermath of two powerful earthquakes that ravaged neighboring Venezuela in late June, where thousands were killed and hundreds of buildings collapsed.

Emergency declared as president pledges support

President Abelardo de la Espriella declared a state of emergency to accelerate funding for relief efforts, saying the government would not leave affected families alone. "We aren't going to leave people alone. They are in our hearts and we are going to tend to people with our full determination," he said in a statement. He announced plans to travel to the disaster zone, while authorities at airports in Manizales, Quibdo, Armenia, Cartago, Buenaventura, and Pereira suspended flights to assess runway and facility damage.

A powerful quake with surprising intensity

The US Geological Survey placed the epicenter approximately 400 kilometers west of Bogota, in a region known for soft river valleys that can amplify seismic waves. Northwestern University seismologist Suzan van der Lee said the earthquake's magnitude made it exceptionally strong. "A magnitude 7.4 is about 32 times as powerful as a magnitude 6.4," she noted. Although the quake originated far below the Earth's crust, it produced intense shaking across a wide area. Colombia's Pacific coast lies along the "Ring of Fire," a geologically active zone that generates most of the world's major earthquakes. The Colombian Geological Service reported that Monday's temblor was the strongest recorded in the country in the 21st century, with at least 21 aftershocks following.

Regional death toll and challenges ahead

Local authorities confirmed that at least 40 people died in the Risaralda region, which includes the hard-hit city of Pereira, and 27 in the Valle del Cauca region, where Cali is situated, among them three children. Officials also reported nine deaths in Choco, two in Caldas, and one person in Antioquia. The location of the remaining 32 deaths had not been immediately determined. Choco, one of Colombia's poorest regions, is largely accessible only by boat or plane, posing a significant challenge for rescue crews and complicating efforts to measure the full impact. The quake was also felt in neighboring Ecuador and Panama, although only minimal damage was reported there.

As rescue teams continue to search through the rubble, the long road to recovery is just beginning. The Colombian government faces the dual task of providing immediate relief and rebuilding damaged infrastructure in remote communities, while seismologists warn that aftershocks could add to the destruction. For many residents, the quake is a grim reminder of the region's vulnerability to natural disasters, and the need for stronger preparedness in a country already reeling from regional crises.