Major earthquake rocks Colombia and other countries, causing damage and casualties

At least 20 people were killed and dozens of buildings collapsed in cities across western Colombia on Monday after a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck the South American nation, trapping residents under debris, leaving more injured and forcing people to evacuate their homes as far as the capital of Bogota.

A powerful earthquake rocked Colombia and other Latin American countries on Monday, causing unspecified damage, casualties and injuries and building evacuations in Bogota. Many people were killed and thousands of injured

The Colombian geological service put the magnitude of the quake at 6.6 while its American counterpart USGS put it at 7.4, with an epicentre 100km underground in the west of Colombia.

It was felt in Ecuador and as far away as Panama to the north, and prompted building evacuations in Bogota, AFP reporters saw.

The governor of Colombia’s Choco province wrote on X that there were injuries and serious damage to buildings in the department’s capital Quibdo.

The mayor of Cali, Colombia’s third largest city, also reported “major damage”. At least 20 buildings collapsed in the city, with people trapped inside, Mayor Alejandro Eder said.

The city has requested teams from Bogota and Medellin to aid in rescue efforts, he added.

Six airports damaged in the earthquake have suspended operations, the civil aeronautics agency said. These airports serve Pereira, Manizales, Quibdo, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura, the agency wrote on X.

News outlets aired footage of some buildings with their facades ripped off by the quake.

In Bogota some people ran out into the street in their pajamas as emergency sirens rang out, AFP reporters saw.

Twin earthquakes in Venezuela of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 on June 24 killed more than 6,000 people and caused devastating property damage.

 A powerful earthquake rocked Colombia and other Latin American countries on Monday, causing unspecified damage and injuries and building evacuations in Bogota.

The Colombian geological service put the magnitude of the quake at 6.6 while its American counterpart USGS put it at 7.4, with an epicentre 100km (62 miles) underground in the west of Colombia.

It was felt in Ecuador and as far away as Panama to the north, and prompted building evacuations in Bogota, AFP reporters saw.

The governor of Colombia’s Choco province wrote on X that there were injuries and serious damage to buildings in the department’s capital Quibdo.

The mayor of Cali, Colombia’s third largest city, also reported “major damage.”

News outlets aired footage of some buildings with their facades ripped off by the quake.

In Bogota some people ran out into the street in their pajamas as emergency sirens rang out, AFP reporters saw.

Twin earthquakes in Venezuela of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 on June 24 killed more than 6,000 people and caused devastating property damage.