Emergency responders have recovered 91 additional bodies from collapsed buildings following the powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck western Colombia, bringing the death toll to at least 111.
Local authorities said the death toll included at least 40 people in the Risaralda region, where Pereira is located, and 27 in Valle del Cauca, where Cali is located. Three children were among those killed in Valle del Cauca.
Authorities also confirmed nine deaths in Chocó, two in Caldas and one involving a 73-year-old man in Antioquia.
It was not immediately clear where the remaining 32 victims were killed.
Colombia’s President, Abelardo de la Espriella, said yesterday that at least 87 people had been injured, while about 1,600 buildings were damaged, including 61 that completely collapsed.
He declared an emergency to expedite funding for recovery efforts.
“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 devastated several cities, including Cali, Pereira, Quibdó and Manizales, and was also felt in neighbouring Ecuador and Panama.
Hundreds of buildings were damaged or destroyed, leaving residents trapped beneath debris as relatives and rescue workers searched through the rubble for survivors.
According to the United States Geological Survey, the epicentre was near San José del Palmar, a community of about 4,800 people in the Chocó region, approximately 400 kilometres west of Bogotá.
Colombia’s Geological Service said the earthquake was the country’s strongest recorded “in the 21st century” and was followed by several aftershocks.
The Pacific region around the epicentre lies along the “Ring of Fire”, a zone of seismic faults encircling the Pacific Ocean where most of the world’s earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur.
In Cali, the country’s third-largest city, search teams and civilians continued combing through the remains of destroyed buildings, passing large pieces of concrete and other debris along lines of volunteers.
Residents have also begun reporting missing relatives through digital databases. One such database had listed more than 2,000 missing people, mostly from Cali and Pereira, with the number continuing to rise.
The earthquake response represents the first major challenge for de la Espriella, a close ally of US President Donald Trump, who was sworn in as Colombia’s president over the weekend.
De la Espriella, who has attracted controversy over his pledge to launch an aggressive crackdown on criminal groups, said he had personally taken charge of the government’s response to the disaster.
On Monday night, the United States State Department announced $15.5 million in emergency assistance for shelter, food and other relief efforts following the earthquake.
Governments across Latin America also offered support, with El Salvador and Mexico among the countries expressing readiness to assist Colombia.
El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele said his government was prepared to provide rescue teams, medical personnel, paramedics, supplies and other assistance requested by Colombia.
“From El Salvador, we are in communication and ready to provide immediate support with our rescue teams, medical personnel, paramedics, supplies, or any other assistance that our Colombian brothers and sisters deem necessary,” Bukele said.
Chilean President José Antonio Kast also offered assistance, saying Chile, one of the region’s most earthquake-prone countries, “knows the pain and the challenge left by earthquakes” and was ready to help.