Several buildings damaged and at least 18 people dead left the magnitude 7.4 earthquake recorded during the morning of this Monday in Colombia.
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According to Colombian media reports, the mayor of the town of Pereira, Mauricio Salazar, confirmed that at least 18 people would have died as a result of the earthquake.
“What happened to us today is very tragic. We do not know, at this moment, the real magnitude of the earthquake’s impact. I can only provide for now the figure of 18 dead and dozens injured”, he mentioned.
For her part, the mayor of Buenaventura, Ligia del Carmen Córdoba, also reported one person dead and that two of the bridges connecting the port collapsed.
<b“Until now there is one dead and we hope there are no more”, said the mayor, who reiterated the call to the public to remain calm while the care and damage assessment work progresses.
Read more 7.4 Earthquake shakes Colombia: injuries and severe building damage reported
According to what has been learned, the earthquake has affected at least nine departments of the country. Although there is currently no official balance of victims from the authorities, Colombian media have echoed videos on social networks showing the collapse of numerous buildings in Quibdó, Pereira, Cali, and Manizales.
The governor of the Chocó department, Nubia Córdoba, stated through social networks that “although the epicenter was San José del Palmar, in the capital Quibdó there are injured and serious damage to buildings. We are already assessing the damage to issue the first official report.”
For his part, the mayor of Cali, Alejandro Eder, has reported that there are “several sectors of the city where buildings have structural damage”. “We call on the people of Cali to remain calm in this difficult situation and to report to emergency agencies any situation that needs to be addressed,” he said.
Eder explained shortly after that at least 20 buildings have collapsed and that there are “people trapped.” “We are already facing this emergency with all the rescue agencies of Cali. I have requested support from the mayor of Bogotá and the mayor of Medellín with rescuers,” he said.
