Colombia earthquake: At least 224 dead, people trapped in collapsed buildings, officials say
At least 224 people are dead after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake rocked western Colombia on Monday, Colombia’s Public Ministry 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, or about 3 miles, east of San José del Palmar, Colombia, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Along with the 224 dead, hundreds of people were injured, officials said.
Alejandro Eder, the Mayor of Cali, said in a social media post on Tuesday morning that of the people killed in the earthquake, 95 perished in Cali, the second-largest city in Colombia with more than 2.2 million residents.
Eder said at least 86 people have been rescued in Cali so far. Preliminary reports indicate that at least 239 people are believed to be trapped in rubble and 949 people injured in the city, according to Eder. Additionally, 93 structures have been damaged and another 45 have partially or wholly collapsed, he said.
"Today more than ever, we need to be united and help each other," Eder said in the post.
The U.S. State Department said Tuesday that a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) was scheduled to arrive in Colombia that day "to support the government's critical operations, programming, and overall response coordination." The State Department announced Monday that the Trump administration "is committing $15.5 million in funding" for the Colombia earthquake response that will go toward "emergency shelter, food, protection, and earthquake assessments."
Some of the hardest-hit regions include the cities of Pereira and Cali. Dozens of people have been reported dead in their respective departments.
De La Espriella, who was just sworn in as president on Friday, said more than 1,600 homes across the country collapsed in the earthquake. He said dozens of health centers, community centers and roads were also damaged.
A rescue effort was ongoing in a building where people are believed to be trapped, according to officials. A hospital in Cali experienced severe damage, with one of the wings partially collapsing, and patients were being relocated, the local governor said.
Eder announced a curfew from 8 p.m. Monday to 6 a.m. Tuesday to "ensure safety in the city and to provide sufficient space and conditions for rescue workers to continue their efforts."
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 service 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 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.
