Bogota, Aug. 10 (SANA) A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, killing at least 111 people, injuring 87 others and causing extensive damage across more than 20 municipalities.
The earthquake’s epicenter was near San José del Palmar in the Chocó region, around 400 kilometers west of Bogota, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Tremors were also felt in neighboring Ecuador and Panama, where only limited damage was initially reported.
Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella declared an emergency to accelerate funding for rescue and recovery operations. He pledged full government support for affected communities and said he would visit the disaster area.
Emergency crews and residents searched through collapsed buildings for people trapped beneath the rubble as authorities warned of possible aftershocks. Pereira, Quibdó, Cali and Manizales were among the cities reporting widespread damage.
Relief and assessment operations could face difficulties in Chocó, one of Colombia’s poorest and most remote regions. Many rural communities there are surrounded by dense jungle and can be reached only by boat or aircraft.
The earthquake struck along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a seismically active zone where most of the world’s earthquakes occur.
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