132 killed in Colombia's strongest earthquake in years

The magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck at 7:34 am local time Monday at a depth of 103 kilometers (64 miles) in Chocó province, according to Colombia's geological service. The powerful tremor was felt across a vast area of western Colombia.

Many of the deaths were reported in Pereira, a city in the country's coffee-growing region, while surrounding areas and the Valle del Cauca region also suffered significant damage.

The epicenter was near the village of San José del Palmar in Chocó province. Despite damage to roads leading in and out of the village, local mayor León Fabio Marín Moncada said there were no reported deaths or injuries there.

Colombia's Association of Capital Cities said more than 480 people had been injured in the earthquake.

Pereira, about 55 kilometers (34 miles) from the epicenter, was among the hardest-hit cities. Videos verified by the BBC showed at least one building collapsing in Plaza Bolívar, the city's main square, leaving debris and clouds of dust scattered across the area.

Local authorities reported at least 40 deaths in Pereira's metropolitan area and said 65 buildings had collapsed. People were believed to be trapped inside 15 of those structures.

A curfew was imposed in parts of Pereira until 5am Tuesday.

In Cali, about 160 kilometers south of Pereira and roughly 200 kilometers from the epicenter, 32 buildings collapsed.

Dan Cutler, 29, a London resident who has been traveling in Colombia with his partner for about two months, was in Cali when the earthquake struck.

"I've never experienced anything like it," he told the BBC, saying they ran outside in their pajamas after being awakened by the tremor.

He said their hotel suffered no major structural damage, although there were cracks in the walls and some paint and plaster had fallen away.

Deaths were also reported in Manizales, Quibdó and Medellín, as well as in the Chocó and Valle del Cauca regions. At least two people were killed in Manizales.

Angélica Ávila, who was staying at a hotel in Manizales, said cracks appeared in the walls as the earthquake struck.

"Everyone was screaming," she told BBC World Service, adding that she saw dust coming from neighboring buildings and bricks falling from walls.

Journalist and meteorologist Luis Felipe Molina, who was at home in Manizales, about 150 kilometers from the epicenter, said the city has strict seismic-resistant building regulations because of previous earthquakes.

He said his building withstood the impact, although most of the books on his shelves fell and there were sounds of breaking glass and people screaming.

Colombia's aviation authority reported damage at several regional airports, including those in Pereira, Manizales, Quibdó, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura.

In the capital Bogotá, trees and traffic lights shook violently, and some buildings developed cracks, but there were no immediate reports of serious damage to major infrastructure.

Tremors were also felt in neighboring Venezuela, Ecuador and Panama.

The earthquake struck less than two months after twin earthquakes devastated northern Venezuela, killing more than 6,300 people.

President Abelardo de la Espriella declared a national disaster situation, giving authorities special powers to respond to the emergency and reallocate funds. The president, who took office only Friday, said more than 1,500 homes had been damaged.

As the scale of the destruction became clearer, several countries offered support. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington was closely monitoring the situation and was ready to assist. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU's Copernicus satellite system was being used to support rescue efforts.

El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele expressed solidarity with Colombia and offered personnel and equipment to help with rescue operations.

The U.S. Geological Survey estimated that about 1.5 million people experienced shaking close to magnitude 7.

The agency said deep earthquakes such as Monday's are generally less dangerous than those occurring closer to the Earth's surface. However, they can still release energy capable of damaging buildings and may produce fewer but potentially stronger aftershocks, reports UNB.