The magnitude 7.4 earthquake caused the greatest damage in the country’s west, along the Andes mountains, with multiple landslides reported in Cali, Colombia’s third-largest city.
A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia the morning of Aug. 10, collapsing dozens of buildings and killing an estimated 111 people. The greatest damage was seen in the country’s western states along the Andes mountain range.
The earthquake’s epicenter was near the small town of San José de Palmar, located roughly 250 miles west of the capital of Bogotá. Damage was seen in the nearby cites of Quibdo, Manizales and Pereira following the temblor that occurred at 7:34 AM local time Monday morning, with numerous collapsed buildings and visible damage to homes.
Colombia’s newly elected president, Abelardo de la Espriella, who only just took office Aug. 7, said that at least 61 buildings had collapsed and at least 1,600 buildings were damaged in the quake. Reports of damage were still coming in late in the day Aug. 10, with multiple landslides reported in Cali, the country’s third-largest city, according to the United Nations. Colombia’s vice president, José Manuel Restrepo, announced he was traveling to the quake-hit city of Manizales to better coordinate the response effort.
Regional airports were closed following the earthquake. A hospital in Cali partially collapsed, requiring evacuations and rescue operations by first responders, according to local media reports.
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