The official toll of the 7.4 magnitude earthquake that struck the western region of Colombia on Monday rose to 111 dead and 87 injured, according to the report released by President Abelardo De La Espriella at 12:30 noon.
The earthquake, with its epicenter in San José del Palmar, in the department of Chocó, occurred at 7:34 in the morning and was described as the strongest recorded in the country in the last decade. It was felt in Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, Manizales, Pereira, and Barranquilla, as well as in Ecuador and Panama.
The victim toll rose throughout the day. An interim report distributed the deceased among Risaralda (40), Valle del Cauca (27), Chocó (four), and Manizales (three), for a total of 74, before the official count exceeded 100 dead by midday.
In Pereira, the city hardest hit, Mayor Mauricio Salazar reported at least 18 deaths and dozens of collapsed structures. The Colombian Geological Service recorded the earthquake at a depth of about 103 km and a maximum intensity associated with severe damage.
Beyond the victims, the earthquake caused extensive destruction to infrastructure. According to the presidential report, 1,575 homes were damaged, while another 37 were completely destroyed. Additionally, 61 buildings collapsed, 18 healthcare centers were damaged, 52 educational centers were affected, 17 community centers sustained damage, and 18 roads were interrupted.
Air connectivity was also severely compromised: six airports—among them Pereira, Quibdó, Manizales, Armenia, Cartago, and Buenaventura—suffered damage to their infrastructure and suspended commercial flights, while an additional terminal reported damage to the runway.
De La Espriella declared a national disaster to expedite the mobilization of resources and entrusted the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) with coordinating the humanitarian response. The president also announced his move to Pereira to oversee rescue efforts.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) issued an orange alert estimating a likely scenario of between 100 and 1,000 deaths, a projection that the official toll in the initial hours has already begun to confirm.
The earthquake struck the country just three days after De La Espriella took office, who became president on August 7 in Cali, making this disaster the first major crisis of his administration. Chocó, an area of high seismic activity due to the convergence of the Nazca and South American plates, had previously been the epicenter of destructive earthquakes.
"At 12:30 today, we had 111 deceased, 87 injured, 1,575 damaged homes, 37 completely destroyed homes, and 61 collapsed buildings," stated De La Espriella, who warned that the numbers could continue to rise as rescue efforts progress in the most affected areas.
Filed under: