Colombia: At least 111 dead, buildings collapsed after powerful quake

At least 111 people have been killed and 87 others injured after a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck large parts of western Colombia. Colombia’s Geological Service said on Monday that it had been “the highest magnitude earthquake registered in Colombia in the last decade.” Dozens of buildings collapsed across multiple cities, leaving residents trapped under debris and forcing people to evacuate their homes as far away as the capital, Bogota. 

Footage shows the moment a three story building collapsed in Pereira after a powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck Colombia. pic.twitter.com/pEOdyI2spK

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Colombia’s newly inaugurated President, Abelardo de la Espriella, declared an emergency to expedite funding for quake recovery and said he plans to visit the disaster zone. “We aren’t going to leave people alone. They are in our hearts and we are going to tend to people with our full determination,” he said.
The earthquake occurred near the municipality of San Jose del Palmar in Colombia’s Choco region, about 400km (250 miles) west of Bogota, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and Colombia’s geological service. The USGS said the quake occurred at a depth of about 107km (66 miles). The US tsunami warning system said there was no tsunami warning. The quake was followed by two 2.8 and 4.8 magnitude aftershocks.
Search teams and civilians picked through the remains of destroyed buildings in the country's third-largest city, Cali, passing large pieces of concrete and other rubble down a long line of volunteers.