CALI, Colombia — A powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, killing at least 111 people, damaging hundreds of buildings and leaving many trapped under debris while their loved ones and rescue workers searched through rubble.Search teams and civilians picked through the remains of destroyed buildings in the country's third-largest city, Cali, passing large pieces of concrete and other rubble down a long line of volunteers."Our building has basically been left in ruins, and the building next to ours? Completely collapsed," said Álvaro López, who cradled his dog as he watched the search.The desperate scene recalled the searches still ongoing in neighboring Venezuela weeks after that country was devastated by two powerful earthquakes.Besides Cali, the quake ravaged cities across western Colombia, including Pereira, Quibdo and Manizales, and was felt in neighboring Ecuador and Panama.
The epicenter was in San Jose del Palmar, a community of about 4,800 people in the Choco region about 250 miles (400 kilometers) west of Bogota, the U.S.Geological Survey said.Colombia's President Abelardo de la Espriella said at least 87 people were injured and around 1,600 buildings were damaged, including at least 61 that completely collapsed.
He declared an emergency to expedite funding for the quake recovery."We aren't going to leave people alone.They are in our hearts and we are going to tend to people with our full determination," he said.Colombia's Geological Service said Monday's quake was the country's strongest recorded "in the 21st century," and that it was followed by several aftershocks.Colombia's Pacific region around the epicenter lies along the "Ring of Fire," the line of seismic faults encircling the Pacific Ocean where most of the world's earthquakes occur.
The Pacific, particularly the Choco region, is one of Colombia's poorest, nestled in dense jungle.Much of Choco is only reachable by boat or plane, which may pose difficulty in asses...