Colombia faces the consequences of one of the most serious earthquakes in recent years after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake shook much of the country at 7:34 a.m. this Monday. The epicenter was located in the town of San José del Palmar, in the department of Chocó, at a depth of 82 kilometers, according to the Colombian Geological Service.
The balance offered during the day by the Colombian president, Abelardo de la Espriella, places the number of deaths at 111 and the number of injured at 87. In addition, 1,575 homes have been affected and 37 have been completely destroyed. The authorities also count 61 buildings collapsed, 18 health centers and 52 educational centers affected, 17 community centers damaged, 18 roads damaged and six airports damaged.
Given the magnitude of the catastrophe, the Colombian Government declared the situation a “national disaster” and launched an emergency device to coordinate rescue, assistance and damage assessment efforts.
El Chocó and the Coffee Region, among the most affected areas
The earthquake had its epicenter in Chocó, where injuries and serious damage to buildings in Quibdó, the departmental capital, were reported. However, the impact spread across several departments in central and western Colombia.
Risaralda became one of the areas with the highest number of victims, while deaths were also recorded in Valle del Cauca and Chocó. Pereira and Manizales are among the most affected cities. In the first, 18 deaths were initially recorded, while in Manizales two deaths and the collapse of between 20 and 30 homes were confirmed, in addition to damage to several churches.
In Cali, Mayor Alejandro Eder reported at least 20 collapsed structures and trapped people, while relief agencies worked to address the emergency.
The earthquake also affected communications and transportation. Civil Aeronautics initially reported damage at the airports of Pereira, Manizales, Quibdó, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura, whose operations were suspended while the security of the facilities was evaluated.
The Government activates the emergency device
President Abelardo de la Espriella, who had taken office just three days earlier, convened an emergency committee and ordered the installation of a Unified Command Post to coordinate care for the victims.
“I have ordered the installation of a Unified Command Post to coordinate care for the damage and the victims,” said the president. De la Espriella also assured that the State was present in the affected areas and announced his displacement to Pereira, one of the cities hardest hit by the earthquake.
Local authorities asked the population to remain calm and check for possible structural damage to buildings to avoid new accidents due to the possibility of aftershocks.
Earthquake revives memory of 1999 Armenian tragedy
The magnitude of the earthquake has led us to remember the earthquake that devastated Armenia and other towns in the coffee region on January 25, 1999. That disaster left 1,185 dead, more than 8,500 injured and tens of thousands of homes destroyed or uninhabitable.
This Monday’s earthquake has once again affected departments such as Quindío, Risaralda and Caldas, in addition to Valle del Cauca and Chocó, although the current balance remains well below that recorded 27 years ago.
The earthquake was also felt in Panama, Ecuador and Venezuela
The seismic movement was not limited to Colombian territory. In Panama, several areas in the east of the country, including areas bordering Colombia, recorded the tremor and evacuations of buildings and hospitals occurred. It was also felt in several provinces of Ecuador, including Pichincha, whose capital is Quito, and in the Venezuelan states of Táchira and Zulia. Venezuelan authorities initially reported no casualties or serious damage.
The Puracé volcano emits ash and forced an airport to close
The emergency day also coincided with an increase in the activity of the Puracé volcano, located in the department of Cauca and on orange alert due to the risk of eruption. The volcano emitted ash and gases, which led the Civil Aeronautics to temporarily suspend operations at the Guillermo León Valencia airport in Popayán for security reasons.
The international community offers help to Colombia
The tragedy provoked numerous messages of solidarity and offers of international help throughout the day. The European Union announced the mobilization of its Copernicus satellite service to support rescue operations. The UN assured that it is prepared to provide assistance to Colombia in whatever is necessary.
El Salvador offered rescue teams, medical and paramedical personnel and supplies, while France, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Cuba conveyed their condolences and solidarity to the Colombian people. The United States also expressed its willingness to support the Government and the affected population.
From Spain, President Pedro Sánchez conveyed his “affection and solidarity” to Colombia. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated that the Embassy and Consulate General were fully activated and that, for the moment, there was no record of Spaniards affected.
Messages of support also came from different political and social spheres. The president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz-Ayuso, expressed her support for the victims and their families, while the leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, lamented the human losses.
