Deadly Earthquake Strikes Colombia's Choco Province
7.4-magnitude quake causes widespread damage and fatalities; rescue operations underway amid aftershock concerns.
Image: Eddie Pollard / AI
Carla Rooney
A 7.4-magnitude earthquake has devastated Colombia's Pacific province of Choco, killing at least 111 people.
Tremors from the earthquake ripped through the region, felt as far away as Bogota and neighboring Venezuela. The epicenter struck east of San José del Palmar, precisely between the major cities of Cali and Medellín.
Flights from six Colombian airports immediately suspended following the seismic event. Colombia's National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) now coordinates with regional authorities, assessing the full, brutal impact.
The General Maritime Directorate (DIMAR) definitively ruled out any tsunami threat for the Colombian Pacific coast. President Abelardo De La Espriella announced he would travel to Pereira, personally leading the government's response efforts.
Social media videos reportedly showed citizens desperately searching for victims in rubble in Cali. Another video depicted a building collapsing in Manizales.
We have just experienced a major earthquake in the department of Choco. We are concerned about aftershocks.
Nubia Carolina Cordoba-Curi, a local official, confirmed the immediate aftermath: "We have just experienced a major earthquake in the department of Choco. We are concerned about aftershocks."
Cordoba-Curi added: "Although the epicenter was near San Jose del Palmar, there are injuries and significant damage to buildings in the capital, Quibdo. We are already carrying out a damage assessment and will issue the first official report shortly."
Officials claim people remain trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings, particularly in Quibdo. The Mayor of Cali reported that at least 20 buildings had collapsed in that city following the earthquake.