Devastating 7.4 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Colombia, Killing at Least 132

A 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck Colombia on Monday, with its epicenter located near San José del Palmar, a rural municipality in Chocó province adjacent to the Pacific coast. The disaster claimed at least 132 lives while leaving roughly 570 people injured, government officials reported. At least 61 buildings have been destroyed or severely damaged in the immediate aftermath of the quake.

President Abelardo De La Espriella, who assumed office on Friday, declared the nation’s first emergency under his administration and traveled to Quibdó, the provincial capital and home to Colombia’s largest Black population. “I will lead this national emergency response, moving throughout the country to make critical decisions without delay,” De La Espriella stated. The president committed to overseeing relief efforts across multiple regions affected by the disaster.

Authorities established emergency command centers across western Colombia, including operations in Bogotá, the national capital, as well as in Armenia, Cali, Pereira, and Manizales. Injured residents are being transported to hospitals in Medellín, where De La Espriella confirmed adequate medical capacity exists to handle the influx of patients. Search-and-rescue operations are underway in multiple cities as authorities assess structural damage throughout the affected areas.

The historic Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary in Manizales, located in the country’s coffee-growing region, sustained partial structural collapse. The earthquake’s impact across Colombia’s western provinces has prompted widespread emergency mobilization and international humanitarian assistance requests.