Colombia Hit by 7.4-Magnitude Quake: Death Toll Rises as Buildings Collapse

A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake ripped through western Colombia, killing at least 22 people and collapsing buildings across several cities, according to Reuters. Rescue operations were underway as authorities warned residents to remain alert for aftershocks.

The earthquake struck at around 7:34 a.m. local time, with its epicentre near San José del Palmar in the Chocó region, according to Colombia's geological authorities and the US Geological Survey. Reuters reported the quake at a depth of roughly 96 km, while the USGS put the depth at about 107 km.

Pereira reported 18 deaths, making it the worst-hit city so far. Mayor Mauricio Salazar said people remained trapped in collapsed buildings as emergency teams worked through the rubble.

Three more people were killed in Manizales, while one person died in Buenaventura, according to local authorities cited by Reuters.

The destruction extended to Cali, where more than two dozen structures collapsed and several people were reported trapped. Rescue teams from Bogotá and Medellín were being sent to assist local authorities.

In Manizales, part of the city's neo-Gothic cathedral also collapsed, AP reported.

The earthquake was felt across nine departments and all 32 departmental capitals, according to Colombia's disaster agency. Residents in Bogotá evacuated buildings after alarms sounded, although the capital reported no major structural damage in initial inspections.

Flights were temporarily suspended at airports including those serving Pereira, Manizales, Quibdó, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura while authorities checked infrastructure for damage.

The quake was also felt in neighbouring Venezuela, Ecuador and Panama, although initial reports indicated limited damage outside Colombia.

Colombia's Geological Service described it as the strongest earthquake recorded in the country in the past decade. Two aftershocks, measuring 2.8 and 4.8, were subsequently recorded, according to AP.

The disaster comes barely weeks after devastating earthquakes struck neighbouring Venezuela in June, killing thousands and destroying large numbers of buildings.

For Colombia, the immediate priority is now the search for survivors. And with people still trapped under rubble, the final toll is far from certain.

(With inputs from ANI)