At least 111 dead as 7.4 magnitude earthquake hits Colombia

At least 111 people were killed in a 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck western Colombia, with the toll climbing through the first day as officials and aid groups tried to assess damage. The US Geological Survey placed the epicenter in San José Del Palmar, about 250 miles west of Bogotá, and warned that significant casualties and damage were likely.

The quake shook Bogotá, Cali and Medellín, and at least 20 deaths were reported in Pereira, about 35 miles from the epicenter. The tremor was also felt in neighboring Ecuador and as far as Venezuela, with evacuations from homes and buildings reported across the region.

On the Pacific coast, Chocó governor Nubia Carolina Córdoba said people had been injured and that the damage was significant. World Central Kitchen said it was responding in Chocó, Cali, Pereira and Manizales, underscoring how widely the quake reached across Colombia’s west.

The earthquake came days after Abelardo de la Espriella took office, making it an early test for the new president. Early casualty counts moved from 26 to more than 70 and then 111 over the course of the day, showing how quickly the scale of the disaster became clearer as the first 24 hours unfolded.