See you soon !
This is the end of this live, thank you for following it. Our coverage of the earthquake in Colombia continues on France 24 and France24.com.
Several countries offer their help
Israel and the United States, allies of the new hard-right Colombian president, were among the first countries to offer aid to Colombia.
Mexico, Chile, Ecuador and Spain also expressed their solidarity, as did President Emmanuel Macron who addressed on X “on behalf of France, (his) most sincere thoughts to the Colombian people”.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU was ready to “provide more help” to Colombia after mobilizing its Copernicus satellite service to facilitate relief operations.
The city of Cali particularly affected
The mayor of Cali, Alejandro Éder, announced a toll of 15 dead and 380 injured for his city, the third in the country.
He said he was waiting for the arrival of 130 first responders from other cities in Colombia.
In pictures: in Cali, the fight of rescuers to extract survivors from the rubble
Credit : Santiago Saldarriaga, AP
In pictures: part of the Notre-Dame-du-Rosaire basilica cathedral collapses in Manizales
In this video posted on X by the Colombian daily El Tiempo, part of the Notre-Dame-du-Rosaire basilica cathedral collapses following the earthquake.
61 buildings collapsed
During a press conference, the Colombian president Abelardo de la Espriella gave the following assessment:
- 111 dead;
- 87 injured;
- 37 homes destroyed;
- 61 buildings collapsed;
- 18 health centers out of service;
- 18 roads and one airport affected.
Location of the earthquake
EU ready to ‘provide more help’ to Colombia
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the European Union was ready to “provide more help” to Colombia.
“Tonight, the heart of Europe is with the Colombian people after the terrible earthquake in the Choco region. We have already mobilized Copernicus, our satellite service, to facilitate relief operations,” Ursula von der Leyen said on social networks. “And we are ready to provide more help.”
The death toll rises to 111
At least 111 people died and 87 others were injured in the earthquake, which caused buildings in several towns to collapse and left others trapped under the rubble, local authorities said.
The earthquake struck Colombia a few days after the inauguration of new President Abelardo de la Espriella, plunging the government into its first crisis, a few weeks after a devastating double earthquake in neighboring Venezuela.
Colombian president declares state of emergency
President Abelardo de la Espriella declared a state of emergency, a device allowing him to take exceptional measures.
The death toll rises to 77 according to Reuters
The death toll now stands at 77 deaths according to a count carried out by the Reuters agency.
It is in Pereira, capital of the neighboring department of Risaralda, located in the coffee region of Colombia, that the toll is heaviest: the governor of the region Juan Diego Patino reported 42 deaths on Caracol Television.
In nearby Manizales, Mayor Jorge Eduardo Rojas said three people had died.
In video: Colombia shaken by a powerful earthquake
The powerful earthquake that shook Colombia on Monday was felt in large cities such as the capital Bogota (center) and Cali (southwest).
The death toll rises to 47
Local authorities in Valle del Cauca, where Colombia’s third city, Cali, is located, reported a death toll of 27 in the department, bringing the cumulative toll from the earthquake nationally to 47 deaths.
At least 20 dead, in Pereira and Manizales
In the town of Pereira, 18 people were killed and others were trapped in collapsed buildings, the mayor, Mauricio Salazar, told Caracol Radio.
In Manizales, two people were killed, said the mayor, Jorge Eduardo Rojas, in an interview with Blu Radio.
The governor of Choco deplores “serious damage” and fears “aftershocks”
On X, the governor of Choco wrote that there were “injuries” and “serious damage to buildings” in Quibdo, the capital of this poor department.
“We have just suffered a major earthquake in the department of Choco. We fear aftershocks. Although the epicenter is located near San José del Palmar, we have reported injuries and significant damage to buildings in the capital, Quibdo,” said Nubia Carolina Cordoba-Curi.
“We are already carrying out a damage assessment and will publish the first official report soon.”
Significant damage and people stuck in Cali, the country’s third city
The mayor of Cali, Colombia’s third city, reported “significant damage”, which is being assessed using drones. He deplores at least 20 “collapsed” structures and “stranded” people.
“For the moment, we have at least 20 collapsed structures in Cali with people trapped,” Alejandro Eder told X, adding that he had asked the mayors of the capital Bogota and Medellin, the country’s second city, to help by sending rescue teams.
Local media broadcast images showing destroyed building facades.
Hello and welcome to our live broadcast dedicated to the situation in Colombia, hit by a 7.4 magnitude earthquake.
