‘Major’ damage, flight ops suspended, buildings evacuated: What officials said after massive Colombia quake
In the aftermath of a massive earthquake in Colombia, authorities said significant damage had been caused to infrastructure, adding that the disaster had also led to injuries and prompted evacuations.
The earthquake led to serious damage and injuries in the city of Pereira in western Colombia, the provincial governor told the local radio, according to Reuters news agency. The tremors also shook neighbouring Ecuador, leading to buildings being evacuated.
The Colombian geological service put the magnitude of the quake at 6.6 while its American counterpart USGS put it at 7.4, AFP reported. The EMSC pegged the magnitude at 7.4 after earlier downgrading it to 6.8.
Choco Governor Nubia Córdoba also said on social media that “there are injuries and serious damage to buildings” in the regional capital. However, the Governor did not provide further details. The Mayor of Cali, Colombia’s third largest city, also said the city had seen “major damage” in the aftermath. The authorities had not confirmed if there were any casualties till the time of writing of this report.
Flight ops suspended, emergency sirens rung
The Colombia Aviation Authority said the airports of Pereira, Manizales, Quibo, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura had also sustained damage in the earthquake. The authority said flight operations had been temporarily suspended at these terminals, according to Reuters.
Meanwhile, local news outlets aired footage of some buildings with their facades ripped off by the quake. Meanwhile, in the Colombian Capital of Bogota, some people ran out into the street in their pajamas when emergency sirens rang out, AFP reported.