Colombia quake kills 111 as emergency declared

Colombia declared a state of emergency on Monday after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia, killing at least 111 people, injuring 87 and damaging more than 1,000 buildings, President Abelardo de la Espriella said.

The quake hit at 7:34 a.m. local time, with its epicentre in the coastal Choco region at a depth of about 100 kilometres. Rescue teams searched for survivors in several cities after buildings collapsed and people were reported trapped under rubble.

De la Espriella said the national government had deployed its capacity to protect lives, help affected communities and deliver aid to areas that needed it.

Authorities in Choco reported 12 deaths. In Pereira, one of the worst-hit areas, local authorities had earlier said at least 40 people died in Risaralda region, where the city is the provincial capital.

Cali Mayor Alejandro Eder said at least 20 buildings collapsed in Colombia's third-largest city, trapping people beneath debris. Choco's governor warned of serious damage in Quibdo, the provincial capital, where videos showed buildings reduced to rubble.

In Manizales, an AFP journalist saw a tower of the city's cathedral crumble. City administrative worker Jaime Zuluaga said many buildings were damaged, traffic was paralysed and people were afraid to return home because of possible aftershocks.

The tremor was felt in Ecuador, Panama and Venezuela and prompted evacuations from buildings in Bogota, where only minimal damage was recorded. Colombia's civil aeronautics agency said six small airports in the west of the country suspended operations, and the country's football governing body postponed upcoming matches.

The United States, the European Union, Israel, Mexico, Ecuador and France offered support or assistance. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU had mobilised its Copernicus satellite service to help rescue operations.