Colombia has declared a state of emergency after a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake killed at least 111 people and damaged more than 1,000 buildings.
The earthquake struck western Colombia at 07:34 local time (12:34 GMT), triggering rescue operations as authorities searched for people trapped beneath collapsed buildings.
President Abelardo de la Espriella, who took office three days ago, said 87 people were injured in the disaster.
“The national government is maintaining all its capacities deployed to protect lives, assist affected communities and deliver aid to every area that needs it,” he said from Bogotá.
The earthquake was centred in the coastal Chocó region at a depth of about 100km.
Authorities in Chocó reported 12 deaths, while the neighbouring Risaralda region recorded at least 40 fatalities, according to local officials.
The city of Pereira was among the worst-hit areas, while in Manizales, part of a cathedral tower collapsed.
A local government worker, Jaime Zuluaga, said many buildings had been damaged and residents were afraid to return home because of possible aftershocks.
“Traffic is paralysed, and people don’t want to go back to their homes for fear of an aftershock,” he said.
In Cali, Colombia’s third-largest city, at least 20 buildings collapsed, with people reportedly trapped under the rubble, Mayor Alejandro Eder said.
Quibdó, the capital of Chocó, also suffered severe damage. Videos from the city showed buildings reduced to rubble.
Community leader Luis Gregorio Moreno said rescuers were still searching for missing people.
“We are all devastated,” he said. “At this moment there are reported deaths and dozens of wounded, but what there are most of are missing people.”
The earthquake was also felt in neighbouring Ecuador, Panama and Venezuela, while buildings were evacuated in the Colombian capital, Bogotá.
Six small airports in western Colombia suspended operations, according to the civil aviation authority. Football matches scheduled to take place in the country were also postponed.
The United States said it was closely monitoring the disaster and was ready to support Colombia.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington was “closely monitoring the large earthquake that struck Colombia and stands ready to support the people of Colombia”.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also offered support, saying the European Union had activated its Copernicus satellite service to assist rescue operations.
Israel, Mexico, Ecuador and France also offered assistance as rescue teams continued searching damaged areas.
The disaster comes as Latin America remains sensitive to the threat posed by major earthquakes, following devastating tremors in Venezuela two months ago that reportedly killed more than 6,000 people.
