Century's Strongest Quake Devastates Western Colombia, Leaving Over 100 Dead

BOGOTA — A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia, killing at least 111 people, toppling buildings across multiple cities, and trapping residents beneath mounds of rubble. Designated by authorities as the country's strongest earthquake of the 21st century, the disaster has plunged the newly sworn-in government into an immediate national crisis.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the shallow-to-intermediate tremor struck at a depth of 107 kilometers (66 miles), with its epicenter located near San José del Palmar in the remote, heavily forested Chocó region. The violent shaking—which rattled windows and sent panicked residents fleeing into the streets as far away as Bogotá, Ecuador, and Panama—lasted for agonizingly long seconds early Monday morning.

A Nation in Crisis

The disaster arrives just days after President Abelardo de la Espriella assumed office. In a national address, President de la Espriella declared a state of emergency to expedite recovery funds and mobilize emergency services directly to the hardest-hit zones.

"The national government has all of its capabilities deployed to protect lives, assist affected communities, and deliver aid wherever it is needed," de la Espriella said. "The first priority is rescuing the people trapped under the rubble."

Officials confirmed that at least 87 people sustained injuries, while roughly 1,600 structures suffered varying degrees of damage, including at least 61 buildings that completely collapsed.

Widespread Destruction in the Coffee Region

While communications outages initially hindered data flows from the remote epicenter in Chocó—where local officials reported initial deaths and injuries—the heaviest structural devastation and casualties materialized further inland across the nation’s vital coffee-growing belt.

In Pereira, the capital of Risaralda department, multi-story residential blocks crumbled into concrete dust. In the historic city of Manizales, a side tower of the landmark neo-Gothic cathedral collapsed, showering debris onto surrounding streets. Meanwhile, in Cali, Colombia's third-largest city, citizens and civilian volunteers formed impromptu human chains, passing heavy chunks of masonry bucket-brigade style to help emergency crews unearth survivors.

"Our building has basically been left in ruins, and the building next to ours? Completely collapsed," said Cali resident Álvaro López, clutching his pet dog as he surveyed the wreckage.

Rescue Efforts and Aftershocks

Colombia's civil aviation authority instituted precautionary closures across several regional airports—including those in Pereira, Manizales, Quibdó, and Armenia—while engineering squads rushed to evaluate runway and terminal integrity.

Seismologists from the Colombian Geological Service reported at least 21 aftershocks following the primary tremor, fueling anxieties among exhausted citizens camped out in public parks overnight. Experts warn that structural damage across the region remains volatile, urging populations to remain clear of compromised infrastructure as search-and-rescue teams continue their desperate race against the clock.