At least 111 people have died as a result of a powerful earthquake that struck western Colombia on the morning of 10 August, with a further 87 people injured, according to international news agencies citing official figures.
“The national government has mobilised all its resources to protect lives, assist affected communities and provide aid where it is needed. The top priority is to rescue people trapped under the rubble,” said Colombian President Abelardo de la Esprieya in a statement around midday local time.
According to the US Geological Survey, the 7.4-magnitude earthquake occurred at a depth of 107 kilometres near San José del Palmar in Chocó, a sparsely populated province on Colombia’s Pacific coast. The tremors were felt in the country’s major cities.
Earlier this summer, on 24 June, two earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in Venezuela claimed the lives of more than 6,000 people and caused significant damage.