Colombia Quake: 20 Dead as Buildings Collapse

A significant 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, causing widespread devastation and claiming at least 20 lives. The tremor's origin point was identified in San Jose del Palmar, a community with approximately 4,800 inhabitants, located 400 kilometers west of Bogota. The earthquake occurred at a depth of 107 kilometers and its effects were also registered in neighboring Ecuador.

Buildings collapsed across several cities, including Pereira, Cali, and Quibdo, trapping individuals beneath debris and prompting urgent evacuations. The town of Pereira was particularly hard-hit, with Mayor Mauricio Salazar reporting 18 of the fatalities originating from this area, describing the situation as "critical." This event is significant as earthquakes above magnitude 6.0 are rare in central and western Colombia, which commonly experiences smaller tremors.