Powerful earthquake kills at least 20, topples buildings in western Colombia

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake killed at least 20 people and toppled dozens of buildings across western Colombia, sending residents into the streets in Bogotá, Cali and other cities. The shaking hit the country’s Pacific coast hard, with the worst damage in Chocó and Risaralda.

The epicenter was near San Jose Del Palmar in Chocó, about 250 miles, or 400 kilometers, west of Bogotá, and the U.S. Geological Survey put the quake at a depth of about 66 miles, or 107 kilometers. Tremors were felt far beyond Colombia’s borders, including in Ecuador and as far away as Panama, and people evacuated in both Colombia and Ecuador as they rushed out of homes and office towers.

Chocó governor Nubia Córdoba said there were injuries and serious damage to buildings, and emergency crews were still assessing the impact across the region. Rescue workers and residents searched through rubble in Cali and other affected cities as the casualty count shifted quickly; later tallies put the death toll at 22 and then 47 as officials and responders worked through the wreckage.