At least 132 people were killed after a powerful earthquake struck western Colombia early on Monday, knocking down buildings across several cities and injuring more than 530 people, with still more residents trapped in the rubble. Some residents recalled the horrific moments when buildings collapsed. They asserted the sound was horrible and added the incident unfolded like a loud explosion in the region The quake struck just days after Abelardo De La Espriella was sworn in as president, thrusting the new administration into its first major crisis, with memories still fresh of devastating twin earthquakes in neighbouring Venezuela in June.
(Rescue workers call for silence while looking for survivors in a collapsed building after an earthquake | CREDIT: REUTERS)
"The national government has all of its capabilities deployed to protect lives, assist affected communities and deliver aid wherever it is needed," he said in a national address around 1 p.m. local time, upon declaring a national state of emergency. "The first priority is rescuing the people trapped under the rubble."
The 7.4 magnitude quake, according to the US Geological Survey, struck at a depth of 107 km near San Jose del Palmar, in Choco, a sparsely populated province on Colombia's Pacific Coast, but was felt in major cities nationwide.
Risaralda turned out to be the most affected region
The casualties appeared to be most concentrated in the western province of Risaralda in Colombia's coffee-growing region, and Cali, one of Colombia's biggest cities, was also hit hard, although local officials had yet to confirm any deaths.
"It sounded like a bomb. It was horrible"
"The building completely collapsed. It sounded like a bomb. It was horrible," Juan Carlos Osorio told Caracol Television as he helped remove debris from a collapsed structure in Cali. "All of us neighbours are working together, forming human chains. We need heavy equipment. There are many people trapped."
(ple walk down the stairwell of a damaged building after an earthquake, in Cali, Colombia | CREDIT: REUTERS)
“Our building has basically been left in ruins, and the building next to ours? Completely collapsed,” said Alvaro Lopez, who cradled his dog as he watched the search. The desperate scene recalled the searches still underway in neighbouring Venezuela, weeks after the country was devastated by two powerful earthquakes.
Colombia's civil aviation authority said flights were suspended at airports in Pereira, Manizales, Quibdo, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura while inspectors checked for structural damage.
Most powerful quake recorded in Colombia this century
Colombia’s Geological Service said Monday’s quake was the country’s strongest recorded “in the 21st century,” and that it was followed by several aftershocks.
(A woman lights candles in the street, following an earthquake, in Manizales, Colombia | CREDIT: REUTERS)
While Colombia typically registers thousands of small quakes every month, Northwestern University seismologist Suzan van der Lee said the strong magnitude, inland epicentre near soft river valleys and movement of the plates may have contributed to more intense damage.
Colombia’s Pacific region around the epicentre lies along the “Ring of Fire,” the line of seismic faults encircling the Pacific Ocean where most of the world’s earthquakes occur. The Pacific, particularly the Choco region, is one of Colombia’s poorest, nestled in dense jungle. Much of Choco is only reachable by boat or plane, which may pose difficulty in assessing the wider toll.
(With inputs from agencies)
You may also like to watch