Residents gather near the rubble of a collapsed building in Pereira, Colombia, on Tuesday, after a magnitude-7.4 earthquake struck the country's western region. The disaster has killed 224 people across Colombia, with rescue operations still underway. [Reuters]
Residents gather near the rubble of a collapsed building in Pereira, Colombia, on Tuesday, after a magnitude-7.4 earthquake struck the country's western region. The disaster has killed 224 people across Colombia, with rescue operations still underway. [Reuters]

The death toll from a magnitude-7.4 earthquake that struck western Colombia has surpassed 200, with rescue teams working through the night to pull survivors from the rubble of collapsed buildings. Authorities warn the number of casualties could rise further.

Colombian authorities had provisionally counted 224 deaths as of Tuesday morning (local time), according to Reuters and the Associated Press.

The worst damage was concentrated in western Colombia, near the epicenter. Buildings collapsed across major cities including Pereira, Cali, Quibdó, Manizales and Armenia.

In Cali, Colombia's third-largest city with a population of about 2.2 million, at least 95 people were killed. At one hospital, multiple floors including the pediatric ward collapsed, trapping patients inside, while roughly 600 others received emergency treatment in debris-strewn streets.

In Pereira, the capital of the coffee-producing Risaralda department, 72 people died. The city sits about 60 kilometers from the epicenter and absorbed intense shaking. At least 13 more people were killed in rural areas of Chocó department, closest to the epicenter.

The Colombian government declared a national emergency immediately after the quake and deployed rescue teams and military personnel for overnight search operations. With recovery efforts still ongoing at collapsed sites, the death toll is expected to climb.

The earthquake struck during a festival in Cali celebrating African and Pacific cultures, compounding the chaos. As looting reports mounted, President Abelardo de la Espriella ordered security forces in Cali expanded to a total of 1,000 personnel to support rescue operations and maintain public order.

On his fourth day in office, President Espriella called for national unity, saying there could be "no ideological divide when it comes to protecting our people and showing solidarity."

According to the US Geological Survey, the earthquake struck at 7:34 a.m. Monday (local time) near San José del Palmar in Chocó department along the Pacific coast, registering a magnitude of 7.4. Colombia's Geological Survey said it was the most powerful earthquake to hit the country in the 21st century.


sjy@heraldcorp.com