A powerful Colombia earthquake killed at least two people in western Colombia on Monday, damaged buildings and left residents trapped under rubble, authorities said.
_x000D_The earthquake struck near San Jose del Palmar in Choco, a sparsely populated province along Colombia’s Pacific coast. The country’s geological service later revised the magnitude to 7.4 and reported a depth of about 96 kilometres (60 miles).
_x000D_Officials in several cities reported structural damage as emergency teams began rescue and assessment operations.
_x000D_ _x000D_Colombia earthquake causes widespread damage
_x000D_Manizales Mayor Jorge Eduardo Rojas said two people died in the town following the earthquake. In Cali, Mayor Alejandro Eder said preliminary reports indicated that at least 20 structures had collapsed.
_x000D_Some people remained trapped inside damaged buildings, prompting Cali authorities to request disaster-response teams from Bogota and Medellin.
_x000D_The quake also caused serious damage in other parts of western Colombia.
_x000D_Choco Governor Nubia Carolina Cordoba reported injuries and significant damage in Quibdo, the provincial capital. She also urged residents to remain alert for possible aftershocks.
_x000D_In neighboring Risaralda province, Governor Juan Diego Patino said some buildings in Pereira, a major city in Colombia’s coffee-growing region, suffered serious damage.
_x000D_ _x000D_Rescue efforts begin after Colombia earthquake
_x000D_Emergency authorities continued receiving reports from across the country as officials assessed the scale of the damage.
_x000D_Colombia’s disaster agency said it received reports from nine departments and all 32 departmental capitals where residents felt the earthquake. The strong shaking triggered evacuations and generated initial reports of damage in multiple areas.
_x000D_Cali officials requested additional rescue resources from Bogota and Medellin to help search collapsed structures and assist people who may remain trapped.
_x000D_Authorities continued inspecting buildings and infrastructure as emergency crews worked in affected communities.
_x000D_ _x000D_Flights suspended at several airports
_x000D_The earthquake also disrupted air travel across western Colombia.
_x000D_The country’s civil aviation authority temporarily suspended flights at airports serving Pereira, Manizales, Quibdo, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura while inspectors checked facilities for possible structural damage.
_x000D_The inspections aimed to determine whether airports could safely resume operations.
_x000D_The U.S. tsunami warning system said the earthquake did not pose a tsunami threat.
_x000D_ _x000D_Earthquake felt beyond Colombia
_x000D_The earthquake was also felt outside Colombia.
_x000D_Reuters witnesses in Venezuela’s Tachira state near the Colombian border reported strong shaking. Residents in Barquisimeto, a city in central-western Venezuela, also felt the earthquake.
_x000D_The latest earthquake comes after devastating seismic activity struck Venezuela in June. Twin earthquakes killed more than 6,000 people, most of them along the coast near Caracas, according to the report.
_x000D_ Colombian authorities continue to assess damage and monitor the situation as communities prepare for possible aftershocks.
