A powerful magnitude-7.4 earthquake has struck western Colombia, collapsing buildings, trapping people and causing deaths, injuries and serious structural damage across several cities.
At least 20 deaths have so far been reported. The mayor of Pereira said 18 people had been killed in the city, while authorities in nearby Manizales reported two deaths.
The casualty figures remain provisional as emergency teams continue search-and-rescue operations and authorities assess damage across the affected region.
At least 20 buildings collapsed in Cali following Monday’s earthquake, with people reported to be trapped inside, according to Mayor Alejandro Eder.
Cali authorities have requested additional rescue teams from Bogotá and Medellín to support efforts to reach those trapped beneath damaged structures.
The Colombian Geological Survey said the magnitude-7.4 earthquake was the strongest recorded in Colombia in the past decade.
The agency said the earthquake had been “widely felt in different regions of the country and in neighbouring countries such as Venezuela, Ecuador, and Panama”.
Two aftershocks have so far been recorded, measuring magnitude 2.8 and 4.8.
The Colombian Geological Survey said it would continue monitoring seismic activity and provide official information as new data became available.
The epicentre of the main earthquake was recorded around San José del Palmar, a municipality in the Chocó region of western Colombia between Cali and Medellín.
The US Geological Survey measured the earthquake at magnitude 7.4. Initial reports have provided differing estimates for its depth.
Officials have reported injuries and significant structural damage in several locations.
Chocó Governor Nubia Córdoba said there were injuries and serious damage to buildings in Quibdó, the regional capital, although authorities have not yet provided detailed casualty figures there.
Pereira has also suffered significant casualties and damage, with the city’s mayor reporting 18 deaths so far.
Damage caused by the earthquake has disrupted Colombia’s aviation network, with six airports in the west of the country suspending operations.
Colombia’s civil aviation authority said airports serving Pereira, Manizales, Quibdó, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura had suspended operations after sustaining damage.
President Abelardo De La Espriella, who was sworn into office only days before the earthquake, said he had personally taken charge of the government’s emergency response.
“I have ordered the establishment of a Unified Command Post to coordinate the response to the damage and assist those affected,” De La Espriella said on X.
The president said he would travel personally to Pereira to meet people affected by the earthquake and oversee the government’s response.
“You are not alone. The government is here and taking action,” he said.
Search-and-rescue operations are continuing in Cali, where people remain reported trapped following the collapse of at least 20 buildings.