Colombia Earthquake claims 132 lives and several injured (Img: X)
Bogotá: An earthquake that hit western Colombia on Monday, claimed at least 132 lives while injuring several others. The 7.4 magnitude earthquake wreaked havoc in Colombia as the structures were destroyed, and many people were trapped under the debris.
According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake occurred at around 7:34 am at a depth of about 107 km. The Geological Survey of Colombia stated that it was the biggest earthquake experienced by the country in the 21st century.
Rescue opperations are underway for those still trapped under collapsed structures.
Risaralda was among the worst affected, being one of the major coffee growers in Colombia. The city of Pereira was severely affected as rescue workers were working on collapsed buildings trying to locate survivors.
In the neighboring city of Manizales, part of the Neo Gothic cathedral was damaged due to one of the towers that fell down.
Pictures of the damaged areas showed fire fighters and police personnel and others working on the rubble looking for trapped individuals in damaged buildings.
One of the firemen based in Cali reported that they were able to save two women and two children in a collapsed building. According to some of the locals, the sound of collapse was like an explosion of a bomb.
The earthquake affected daily life in various cities of Colombia. Communication links have been disturbed in some areas, which has made it difficult for the authorities to know the total amount of destruction that occurred.
It was noted that there were some causalities and injuries in the Choco region and rescue operations are still underway. Some airports in Pereira, Manizales, Quibdo, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura had been shut down for security reasons.
The Geology Service in Colombia informed that there were many aftershocks after the earthquake.
This disaster has also rekindled trauma in another Venezuelan family which has experienced an earthquake in the past.
Two brothers, Winder and Deivi Delfín, who have lost relatives in an earthquake in Venezuela, were yet again caught in an earthquake when they moved to Colombia.
According to their father, they rushed out of their house in a state of panic during the earthquake.
The country is situated at the highly seismic Pacific Ring of Fire, and hence experts attributed its destructive nature to the magnitude, location, and movement through fault lines.
Experts noted that despite the quake taking place under ground, it had so much power that it created strong tremors that shook heavily populated areas.
This is not the first time such a massive earthquake has struck Colombia, with the country experiencing the highly devastating 1999 Armenia earthquake that led to more than a thousand deaths.
