Earthquake in western Colombia kills at least 47

A powerful earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday morning, killing at least 47 people and leaving many more trapped under collapsed buildings. The 7.4 magnitude quake hit at around 7:30 local time, with its epicentre near the small community of San Jose del Palmar in the Choco region, between the cities of Cali and Medellin. The tremor was felt across the country and in neighbouring Venezuela, Ecuador and Panama, and lasted for several minutes, according to witnesses.

Rescue teams and volunteers worked through the night and into the next day, digging through rubble in cities such as Cali, Pereira and Manizales. At least 20 buildings collapsed in Cali alone, including a hospital facade, and there were reports of damage to airports and schools. The death toll rose steadily as more bodies were recovered, with local officials reporting more than 250 dead by Tuesday evening. Hundreds more were injured, and thousands were reported missing.

Colombia's new president, Abelardo de la Espriella, who had been sworn in only on Friday, declared a state of emergency and suspended his schedule to focus on the disaster. He visited affected areas and promised government support, while security forces were deployed to prevent looting. International aid was offered by the United States, Mexico, Ecuador and France, among others.

The earthquake was the strongest to hit Colombia in a decade, and it came less than two months after twin earthquakes in neighbouring Venezuela killed more than 6,000 people. Aftershocks continued to shake the region, and many families spent a second night sleeping outdoors, afraid to return to damaged homes. The full scale of the destruction was still emerging, with rescue efforts hampered by damaged roads and communication outages.