BOGOTA, Colombia — A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia this week, killing at least 240 people and leaving an estimated 3,000 others missing, officials said. The country's deadliest earthquake this century also injured 1,595 people and leveled homes and office buildings across the region.
Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella declared a national disaster. Rescue workers and volunteers immediately began sifting through rubble in heavily affected cities including Pereira and Cali, racing to locate survivors.
During a tour of the country's coffee region, de la Espriella announced economic relief measures for those affected. He ordered the minister of housing to implement a three-month relief program suspending household utility bill payments for residents of Risaralda, the department where Pereira is located. The government will also provide financial support for temporary housing to those who lost their homes. De la Espriella said costs for repairing and rebuilding damaged structures would be addressed in a subsequent phase.
Pereira, the capital of Risaralda, bore the heaviest toll, with more than 70 fatalities reported within the city. De la Espriella said his administration assessed conditions in Pereira and was coordinating state resources for a rapid response to affected communities.
Rescue operations continued into Tuesday, with a notable success in Cali where firefighters from the city and Bogotá pulled Diana Troncoso from a collapsed building nearly 30 hours after the quake. The medic, in her early 30s, was reported to be in stable condition.
The United Nations warned that food distribution would be critical for survivors in the coming days. An indigenous leader near the epicenter said his community had not yet received assistance.
World leaders offered international aid following Colombia's national disaster declaration. One survivor described the destruction in Pereira as leaving her feeling powerless.
