A magnitude-7.4 earthquake [1] struck western Colombia on Monday, collapsing buildings and prompting a state of national disaster.
The disaster has paralyzed the coffee-growing region and Valle del Cauca, trapping hundreds of residents under rubble and overwhelming local emergency infrastructure.
First responders in the cities of Cali and Pereira worked through Monday evening and into Tuesday to locate survivors [2, 3]. The Colombian government declared a state of national disaster after the quake killed at least 132 people and injured hundreds more, a spokesperson said [3]. Other reports indicate the death toll may be higher, with Channel 4 News reporting over 160 deaths [1].
Emergency workers continued to search through the debris under cover of darkness. "Emergency workers in Colombia worked through the night trying to rescue those trapped under collapsed buildings," a Channel 4 News narrator said [1].
The scale of the displacement and loss is significant. While some early reports placed the death toll as low as 71 [5] or 111 [4], more recent figures suggest a higher casualty count. Additionally, more than 2,700 people are reported missing [6].
Rescue operations remain focused on the hardest-hit urban centers. First responders in Cali were hard at work Monday evening after the quake struck earlier in the day, killing dozens and burying more under debris, a video reporter said [2].
“The Colombian government has declared a state of national disaster.”
The discrepancy in casualty figures—ranging from 71 to over 160 deaths—reflects the typical chaos of early search-and-rescue phases in high-magnitude events. The declaration of a national disaster allows the Colombian government to mobilize military resources and international aid to manage the crisis in the Valle del Cauca and coffee-growing regions, where infrastructure collapse has likely hindered initial response times.
