Colombia earthquake: Over 100 dead, people trapped in collapsed buildings, officials say
By Somayeh Malekian, Aicha El Hammar Castano, and Meredith Deliso
Over 100 people are dead after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake rocked western Colombia on Monday, officials said.
The country's new president, Abelardo de la Espriella, has declared a national disaster, with destruction reported in multiple cities.
The earthquake's epicenter was 5 kilometers east of San José del Palmar, Colombia, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
At least 111 people are dead, and 87 have been injured, according to Colombia's president.
Some of the hardest-hit regions include the cities of Pereira and Cali. Dozens of people have been reported dead in their respective departments.
At least 61 buildings have collapsed and over 1,600 homes have been damaged or destroyed, the president said. Dozens of health centers, community centers and roads have also been damaged, he said.
In Cali, at least 20 buildings collapsed and people were trapped, according to the mayor. A rescue effort was ongoing in a building where at least 15 people were trapped, according to officials.
The governor of Chuco said there were injuries and "severe damage" to buildings in the department's capital city of Quibdo.
Seven airports have suspended their services, in the cities of Armenia, Cali, Manizales, Pereira, Quibdo, Buenaventura and Cartago.
There have not been any reports of collapsed buildings in the capital of Bogota, officials said.
The Monday morning earthquake was the strongest recorded in the country in a decade, according to the Colombian Geological Survey. It was widely felt throughout Colombia and in neighboring countries including Venezuela, Ecuador and Panama, it said.
The Colombian president said in a video on social media that he was headed to Bogota to "focus on addressing the emergency facing our country" and has convened a unified command post to respond to the affected areas, including what's known as the Coffee-Growers' Axis.
The Trump administration is "closely monitoring" the earthquake and stands "ready" to support the people of Colombia, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement.
