Colombia earthquake: 132 dead, 188 missing in Cali
Photo: REUTERS
A powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake shook western Colombia on Monday morning, claiming the lives of at least 132 people and leaving 570 others injured.
Colombian Association of Capital Cities reported these devastating figures as emergency responders frantically dig through rubble to find survivors trapped beneath collapsed structures.
The disaster has hit the western city of Pereira especially hard, accounting for 60 deaths. In Cali, the situation remains dire as the mayor confirmed at least 188 people are missing following the destruction of 86 buildings, including the pediatric and neonatal sections of a local hospital.
Colombian government has declared a national disaster, deploying soldiers to the most affected areas to assist in the rescue operations. The epicenter of the tremor originated in San José del Palmar, an underdeveloped region situated roughly 150 miles west of Bogotá.
Even in the nation’s capital, the quake’s power triggered alarms, forcing residents to evacuate into the streets as a safety measure. Five capital cities across the country remain under a red alert, while authorities have suspended operations at seven airports.
In a tense rescue mission in Pereira, the city’s mayor’s office announced that crews successfully evacuated sixteen people from an aerial cable car system after they remained trapped for six hours.
The devastating event struck Colombia’s coffee axis, a lush, mountainous region vital to the national economy. This same area carries the scars of a 1999 earthquake that resulted in the deaths of nearly 1,200 people.
As rescue operations continue and the death toll is expected to rise, the US State Department has pledged $15.5 million to Colombia for shelter, food, protection, and earthquake assessments.
US embassy in Bogota said they are “actively assisting” American tourists caught in the disaster.
Source: CNN (adapted)
