The death toll from a powerful earthquake in western Colombia has risen to 111 people. Another 87 people were injured, and dozens of residents may remain trapped under rubble. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Reuters.
The earthquake struck early Monday morning. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, its magnitude was 7.4, and the epicenter was at a depth of about 107 km near San José del Palmar in the Chocó department on the country's Pacific coast.
The tremors were felt in major Colombian cities. In several settlements, buildings were destroyed and damaged.
The highest number of casualties, according to preliminary data, was recorded in the western department of Risaralda, located in the country's coffee region. Serious destruction also occurred in Cali, one of Colombia's largest cities.
"The building completely collapsed. The sound was like a bomb explosion. It was terrible. We, the neighbors, are working together, forming human chains. We need heavy machinery. Many people are under the rubble," said local resident Juan Carlos Osorio to Caracol Television.
Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella declared a state of emergency and said authorities have mobilized all available resources to rescue people and assist affected regions.
"The priority is to rescue people trapped under the rubble," he said in an address to citizens.
According to the head of state, the government is sending humanitarian aid to the most affected areas and coordinating rescue services.
The earthquake was the first major crisis for the new administration just days after de la Espriella's inauguration.
Colombia's Civil Aviation Authority temporarily suspended flights at airports in Pereira, Manizales, Quibdó, Armenia, Cartago, and Buenaventura.
Specialists are checking terminal buildings, runways, and other infrastructure for damage.
Search and rescue operations continue in several cities. Local residents are helping emergency services clear debris and search for people.
Authorities do not rule out that the death toll could rise, as some residents may still be under the rubble of collapsed buildings.
Colombia is located in a seismically active zone, where thousands of small tremors are regularly recorded.
Seismologist Susan van der Lee of Northwestern University noted that the scale of destruction could be related to the high magnitude of the earthquake, tectonic plate movement, and soil characteristics in the western regions of the country.
According to her, despite the significant depth of the epicenter, a magnitude 7.4 earthquake was powerful enough to cause strong surface shaking.
Earlier, Kursiv reported that the death toll from earthquakes in Venezuela reached 6,124, with another 60,992 people affected. Tremors of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 occurred on June 24 about 40 seconds apart, followed by more than 1,500 aftershocks. According to the World Bank, damage amounted to about $19.6 billion, and the country's recovery could require up to $50 billion.