The death toll from Monday’s magnitude 7.4 earthquake in western Colombia climbed past 111 as rescue crews continued digging through rubble, with President Abelardo de la Espriella warning the figure is likely to keep rising as search operations reach more remote areas.
The president said more than 1,600 buildings were damaged in the quake, with the heaviest losses concentrated in the Risaralda region around Pereira, where local officials reported at least 40 deaths, followed by 27 in the Valle del Cauca region that includes Cali, among them three children. Smaller death tolls were confirmed in Chocó, Caldas and Antioquia, though authorities said it remained unclear exactly where dozens of the other victims died.
The Colombian Geological Service called it the strongest earthquake to hit the country so far this century, with at least 21 aftershocks recorded in the hours that followed. The quake struck at a depth of roughly 107 kilometers, centered near San José del Palmar in the Chocó region — a remote, jungle-covered area that is largely reachable only by boat or plane, complicating efforts to assess the full scale of casualties.
Colombia’s civil aviation authority suspended flight operations at several western airports, including Pereira, Manizales, Quibdó, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura, pending structural inspections. In Cali, the country’s third-largest city, rescue workers and volunteers formed lines to clear debris from collapsed buildings by hand as search teams worked to reach anyone still trapped.
De la Espriella, who took office only days before the disaster, has declared a state of national disaster and said he is personally overseeing the emergency response. World leaders across the Americas, Europe and the Middle East have offered support, with Washington saying it is monitoring the situation and stands ready to assist.
Monday’s quake follows a pair of major earthquakes that struck neighboring Venezuela in late June, killing more than 6,000 people — a disaster that left many Colombians on edge as they weathered Monday’s shaking.
This remains a fast-moving disaster with casualty figures still being updated. If you or someone you know has been affected, I’m glad to help you find relevant support resources.
