Kathmandu. At least 132 people were killed and 570 injured after a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck Colombia on Monday morning, officials said.
The Colombian Association of Capital Cities released the number of dead and wounded after a meeting led by the president of the country. At least 60 people have died in Pereira, the worst-hit city of Pereira, according to the association.
Red alert has been declared in five major cities of the country following the earthquake. So far, 86 buildings have been confirmed to have completely collapsed, while the operation of seven airports has been temporarily suspended. The town of Pereira, with a population of about 500,000, was less than 64 km from the epicenter.
The tremors were felt in several cities across the country, including the capital Bogotá. In Bogotá, people were evacuated from many buildings after sirens and warning systems were activated.
President Abelardo de la Espriela said 1,577 residential buildings had been damaged and 37 completely destroyed. More than 60 buildings have collapsed, while 18 health facilities and 52 schools have been damaged.
The Risaralda department of west-central Colombia is one of the worst-hit areas. Risaralda governor Juan Diego Patino said rescue and relief efforts had been intensified.
President De La Espéirala has formed an emergency committee and pledged to take all necessary steps to ensure the safety of the affected people. He said he would personally lead the rescue and rehabilitation efforts to deal with the aftermath of the earthquake.
According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the quake struck at 7:34 a.m. local time near San Jose del Palmer in the Choco region. Its epicenter is about 280 km west of the capital Bogotá and has a depth of 107 km.
Nubia Carolina Córdoba Curie, the governor of the Choco region, said several people were injured and buildings were damaged in the regional capital Quibdo. She also expressed concern about the possibility of aftershocks.
Meanwhile, Bogotá Mayor Carlos F. Galán said a relief operation had begun in the affected areas. According to him, six relief centers have been set up in the capital to collect drinking water, blankets, food, hygiene materials and first aid materials.
Galán said there were no serious casualties in Bogotá so far and 100 rescuers were being dispatched to help with the search and rescue operations
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