Colombia: 7.4-Magnitude Earthquake Leaves 164 Dead

Colombia: At least 164 people have been killed and 570 injured after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia on 10 August, Monday. The massive earthquake led to collapsed buildings leaving people trapped under rubble. Rescue operations are continuing to help the affected people.

The earthquake struck at about 7:34 a.m. local time. The epicenter was near San José del Palmar in the Chocó department. The earthquake was recorded at a depth of 107 kilometers by the U.S. Geological Survey.

Pereira is among the most affected cities, as it recorded the highest number of deaths. 60 people are reported to be killed in the city. Cali, Manizales and other areas in western Colombia were also affected significantly. The earthquake was felt in Quibdó, Bogotá, Cali, Pereira and Manizales.

The area affected by the earthquake was wide as tremors were felt in neighbouring countries like Ecuador, Panama and Venezuela.

According to latest reports, almost 1,575 homes have been affected and 61 buildings have collapsed. Search and rescue teams are continuing to look for survivors as authorities in Cali have reported 188 people missing.

Rescue workers, police, soldiers and residents are searching collapsed buildings as they are trying to find people who may still be trapped. The teams are being careful by trying to remove the rubble by hand trying to reach those trapped beneath the debris.

In Pereira, sixteen people were rescued from the city’s aerial cable car system. They were trapped in the cabins for several hours after the earthquake. Safety checks are being conducted for the system and the service has been temporarily suspended.

After the massive earthquake struck Colombia, many airports were also affected. Airports in Pereira, Manizales, Quibdó, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura have suspended their operations as engineers are carrying out safety inspections.

The government of Colombia has declared a national disaster situation and the military and police personnel, engineers, rescue workers and search dogs have been deployed to affected areas.

President Abelardo de la Espriella said that the main priorities at a time like this are rescuing people trapped under rubble and helping affected communities.

The Colombian Geological Service recorded 21 aftershocks by Monday evening. They also warned that more tremors could occur. This is said to be the strongest earthquake recorded in Colombia in the 21st century.

International assistance is being offered from countries like the United States, Ecuador and El Salvador. The U.S. has announced US$15.5 million in emergency aid, while Ecuador and El Salvador have offered to deploy rescue personnel and provide equipment. The European Union has also offered support through its Copernicus satellite programme. Several countries including France, Ukraine, Italy and St. Kitts and Nevis have expressed grief over this tragic disaster.

Before this earthquake, a massive earthquake earlier struck Colombia in 1999, it was named Coffee Region earthquake which was of 6.2 magnitude. That earthquake killed more than 1,000 people, including in Pereira and Armenia.

Colombia is located in a seismically active region. Several tectonic plates meet under Colombia. Although, the latest earthquake has occurred at a considerable depth, its was of a massive magnitude and it caused strong shaking across a wide area.

The authorities are continuing search-and-rescue operations, trying to find missing people and analysing the damage that has occurred.