At Least 216 Dead In Colombia's Strongest Quake In Years

At Least 216 Dead in Colombia’s Strongest Quake in Years COLOMBIA Colombia Rescuers continued to search for thousands of missing people Tuesday after a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia earlier this week, killing at least 216 people, injuring almost 2,600 more, leaving nearly 4,000 unaccounted for and collapsing structures across the country. The quake struck shortly after 7:30 a.m. local time Monday, hitting cities including Cali, Pereira, Quibdó and Manizales, with tremors also felt in neighboring Ecuador and Panama. The US Geological Survey said the epicenter was near San José del Palmar, a community of about 4,800 people in the Chocó region, about 250 miles west of Bogotá. The Colombian Geological Service described it as the country’s strongest recorded earthquake “in the 21st century.” Several aftershocks followed. Officials said around 1,600 buildings were damaged or had collapsed across the country. In Cali, Colombia’s third-largest city, search teams and civilians formed lines to remove concrete and rubble from destroyed buildings. Pereira, another of the hardest-hit cities, was plunged into darkness Monday evening as volunteers searched for survivors. Authorities had little information about the full extent of damage in Chocó, one of Colombia’s poorest regions, where dense jungle and limited road access are complicating efforts to assess the toll. The disaster presents the first major challenge for President Abelardo de la Espriella, who was sworn in over the weekend and had been in office for only three days. De la Espriella declared a state of emergency and said he had personally taken charge of the response, mobilizing the military and police. The earthquake follows two powerful quakes in neighboring Venezuela in late June, killing more than 6,300 people and destroying hundreds of buildings. International assistance began mobilizing Monday night, with the US State Department announcing $15.5 million for emergency shelter, food and other aid. El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Chilean President José Antonio Kast also offered assistance.