Colombia earthquake death toll rises to 132, hundreds injured

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Colombia's coffee-growing region on Monday, killing at least 132 people and injuring 570, according to the Colombian Association of Capital Cities. The disaster marks the first major crisis for newly inaugurated President Abelardo De La Espriella.

The death toll included 60 fatalities in the western city of Pereira alone, with figures expected to rise as rescue operations continue. Five capital cities are under red alert, 86 buildings have collapsed, and seven airports have suspended operations. At least 188 people are missing in Cali, according to the city's mayor.

The US Geological Survey said the quake struck at a depth of 107 kilometers (66 miles), while Colombia's Geological Service called it the strongest earthquake recorded in the country in the 21st century.

De La Espriella declared a national state of emergency, saying, "The national government has all of its capabilities deployed to protect lives, assist affected communities and deliver aid wherever it is needed," he said, adding, "The first priority is rescuing the people trapped under the rubble."

Around 1,600 buildings were reported damaged or collapsed across cities including Cali, Quibdo and Pereira, and more than 2,700 people had been reported missing on citizen-run tracking websites by Monday night. Local authorities said 80% of the town of El Cairo, near the quake's epicenter in San Jose Del Palmar, was damaged. Sixteen people were rescued from an aerial cable car system in Pereira after being trapped for six hours. Manizales also had to evacuate passengers and suspend its cable car system due to structural damage.

Authorities in Cali, Armenia and Manizales announced curfews amid looting threats, with De La Espriella promising 1,000 additional security personnel for Cali. Video showed rescuers pulling a six-month-old girl and her mother from rubble in Cali, while footage from Manizales showed a tower of the city's cathedral collapsing.

The earthquake left many Colombians unnerved after twin earthquakes devastated neighboring Venezuela in late June, with the death toll now reaching more than 6,300 people. This earthquake in Colombia is reminiscent of a 1999, 6.1 magnitude earthquake in the same region, which killed 1,185 people and injured more than 8,500, with most of the damage concentrated in Armenia.

De La Espriella traveled to Quibdo, the capital of Choco province, one of Colombia's poorest and most neglected regions, saying he had mobilized "the entire military and police apparatus" and deployed engineers, rescue workers and search dogs. He announced rental subsidies for those whose homes were damaged, saying, "Choco will never again be the 'land of the forgotten.'"

The US State Department announced it was committing $15.5 million for shelter, food, protection and earthquake assessments, and said it was "actively assisting" Americans affected by the quake, according to the US embassy in Bogota. World Central Kitchen founder Jose Andres said his organization's disaster-relief network had been "activated" to deploy emergency food aid, with response director Juan Camilo Jimenez telling CNN the group would work with local restaurants already operating in the area to provide meals.

The Colombian Geological Service recorded 21 aftershocks by late Monday and warned more were likely.