Colombia earthquake: rescuers race to find survivors as death toll hits 240

PEREIRA, Colombia — Rescue crews and volunteers clawed through debris in western Colombia on Tuesday, searching for survivors after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake killed at least 240 people and flattened more than 100 homes and office buildings.

The quake hit several cities in Colombia's coffee-growing region and Pacific belt at 7:34 a.m. local time (1234 GMT) Monday, sending masonry into the streets and leaving entire blocks without power. The U.S. Geological Survey said the tremor was the strongest to hit Colombia in a century. It was also one of the deadliest natural disasters the country has seen in years. Authorities put the number of injured at more than 1,300.

In the hardest-hit city of Pereira, a city of more than half a million people, much of the main downtown remained dark Tuesday. Residents who lost their homes or feared aftershocks spent the night on sidewalks and in public parks.

"Since yesterday we've been wondering what will become of our lives," said Gloria Giraldo, a 38-year-old housewife whose neighborhood crumbled around her.

Colombia's new president, Abelardo de la Espriella, declared a state of emergency and traveled to Pereira on Tuesday, where he promised rent subsidies for the displaced. The quake presents one of the first major tests for a leader sworn in only days ago.

In Cali, rescuers and local volunteers formed human chains, passing bricks and chunks of masonry by hand while firefighters listened for sounds from beneath the rubble. Andres Felipe Mejia, who joined the volunteers, said at least one trapped survivor answered a rescuer's call with a whistle.

"They pulled out a man and a baby, but the wife is still in there," Mejia told AFP. "We are trying to get everyone out alive."

Local authorities put hospitals in five cities on red alert and imposed an overnight curfew in Cali. Volunteer rescue worker Nelson Moreno described the chaos after the quake: "It felt like the end of the world — cars and motorcycles driving the wrong way, everyone searching for their loved ones."

The scene was similar across several cities. In Manizales, the tower of a neo-Gothic cathedral crumbled. In Quibdo, capital of the Choco department, local official Jenny Rivas said public services and communications were "virtually shut down." Tattoo artist Andres Hernandez said he was afraid to sleep because the buildings around him were "on the verge of collapsing."

"People ran out naked, people jumped from the second floor of their homes," said Wilmer Cuesta, a law student in Quibdo. Dentist Julian Pena said he rushed into the street with nothing and found hundreds doing the same. "People were praying in the street. It was overwhelming," he said.

The quake was felt across Colombia, including Bogota, where crowds stumbled into the streets in pajamas, and as far away as Ecuador and Panama. According to the USGS, the quake originated about 110 kilometers (68 miles) below the surface along a deep fault within the Nazca tectonic plate.

The devastation comes less than two months after twin earthquakes in neighboring Venezuela killed more than 6,300 people and left tens of thousands homeless — a reminder of the region's vulnerability to seismic disasters. The coffee belt, a key engine of Colombia's rural economy, could face long-term disruption if roads, power lines and water systems are not quickly restored.

International support has begun to arrive. The European Union, Israel and Mexico offered assistance, while the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, a strong supporter of de la Espriella, pledged $15.5 million in emergency relief. The Vatican said Pope Leo XIV was "deeply saddened" and "raises his prayers to the Lord for the prompt recovery of those affected by this tragedy." UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed condolences and said the UN was "supporting the Government-led response as requested."

Rescuers said the work was far from complete. "A lot of people have come, with supplies, with food, helping the firefighters, helping the people," Mejia said. But with many collapsed buildings still unsearched, officials braced for the death toll to rise.