Not less than 169 people have been killed and about 900 others injured after a powerful earthquake struck Colombia, prompting authorities to declare a state of emergency as rescue teams search for people feared trapped beneath collapsed buildings.
The magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck at 07:34 local time (12:34 GMT) in Chocó province, according to Colombia’s geological service. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 103 kilometres and was felt across a vast area of western Colombia.
The death toll is expected to rise as emergency workers continue to assess the extent of the destruction and search damaged buildings.
The city of Cali, Colombia’s third-largest city, recorded the highest number of deaths, with at least 85 fatalities reported. The city is located about 200 kilometres from the earthquake’s epicentre.
Another 66 people were reported dead in Pereira, in Colombia’s coffee-growing region.
Videos verified by the BBC showed a building collapsing in Pereira’s Plaza Bolívar, the city’s main square, leaving debris and clouds of dust scattered across the area.
Despite being closest to the epicentre, the village of San José del Palmar in Chocó province reported no deaths or injuries. The local mayor, León Fabio Marín Moncada, said the earthquake damaged roads connecting the community to other areas.
The scale of the earthquake left residents across affected cities scrambling for safety.
Dan Cutler, a 29-year-old British tourist staying in Cali, said he was awakened by the violent shaking.
“I’ve never experienced anything like it,” he told the BBC, describing how he and his partner ran outside their hotel in their pyjamas.
Although the hotel avoided major structural damage, Cutler said cracks appeared in the walls while paint and plaster peeled away.
Authorities have deployed emergency personnel to affected areas as the search for survivors continues and the extent of the damage is assessed.
The Colombian government has warned that the situation remains fluid, with the possibility of further casualties as rescue operations continue.
