At least 132 killed in Colombia's largest earthquake in years
At least 132 people are dead and a state of emergency has been declared after Colombia was hit by one of its largest earthquakes in years. The death toll is likely to rise, with more feared trapped …
At least 132 people are dead and a state of emergency has been declared after Colombia was hit by one of its largest earthquakes in years.
The death toll is likely to rise, with more feared trapped under collapsed buildings.
The magnitude 7.4 quake struck at 07:34 (12:34 GMT) at a depth of 103km (64 miles) in Chocó province, the country's geological service said. It was felt across an enormous area, stretching for hundreds of miles across western Colombia.
Many of the deaths have been concentrated in the city of Pereira, in Colombia's coffee-growing region, with surrounding cities and the Valle del Cauca region also hit hard.
The epicentre of the quake was near the village of San José del Palmar, in Chocó province, but local mayor León Fabio MarÃn Moncada said that there had miraculously been no deaths or injuries - despite the roads in and out being damaged.
More than 480 people were injured in the quakes, Colombia's Association of Capital Cities wrote in a statement update on Monday.
About 55km (34 miles) from the epicenter of the earthquake, the city of Pereira saw some of the worst damage.
Videos verified by the BBC show at least one building collapsing in Plaza BolÃvar, the city's main square, with scattered debris and dust across the open space where many people had gathered.
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