‘National disaster’ in Colombia after 7.4-magnitude earthquake kills more than 160 & topples buildings as LOOTING erupts

A NATIONAL disaster has been declared in Colombia after a mega quake killed more than 160 people. Hundreds of buildings collapsed as the South American country was hit by a huge 7.4-magnitude earthquake on Monday morning – one of its largest in years. Residents and rescue workers search for survivors in Pereira Credit: Getty Debris strewn across a collapsed church at Palermo neighborhood in Tamesis Credit: Getty A crushed car in Pereira after the 7.4-magnitude quake Credit: Getty Rescuers work at the site of a collapsed building in Cali Credit: Reuters So far, 164 people have been confirmed dead and nearly 500 left injured, officials said. The death toll is likely to rise, with many feared trapped under collapsed buildings. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! By Monday evening, more than 2,700 people had been reported missing as desperate families posted information about missing loved ones online. Striking at a depth of 64 miles in Chocó province, the quake was felt across a huge area – stretching for hundreds of miles across western Colombia, as far as Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, 750 miles away, and in Ecuador and Panama. In Chocó – where much of the area is only accessible by boat, through the jungle or by plane – 13 people have died. Another 66 have been reported dead in Periera – where the mayor broke down in tears as he told reporters that numbers were expected to rise. Three people died at the Pereira airport terminal, according to the mayor, and pictures showed rescuers helping passengers trapped on the city’s 11,000ft-long gondola lift. In ​Cali, Colombia’s third biggest city and home to about 2.2 million people, at least 85 people were killed. Most read in The Sun Emergency crews search through rubble in Cali Credit: Getty In the city of Manizales, one of the towers of the city’s 20th-century cathedral collapsed in front of shocked crowds Credit: SWNS Residents and emergency personnel dig through debris of a collapsed building in Cali Credit: Reuters At least 20 buildings collapsed in the city or were significantly damaged, including the paediatric wing of the de Valle University Hospital. Rescue workers were seen helping a woman and a newborn baby from a fourth-floor window after the quake. Colombia’s president Abelardo de la Espriella said 1,000 members of the security forces have been deployed to Cali following reports of looting. City mayor Alejandro Eder announced an overnight curfew on Monday to “preserve security in the city”. In Manizales, the heart of Colombia’s coffee-growing region, at least five people were killed and 20 houses were destroyed. One of the towers of the city’s 20th-century cathedral collapsed in front of shocked crowds. In Quibdó, one of the first deaths confirmed was Jairson Leonel Valencia, the six-year-old son of a local mayor, The Times reports. President de la Espriella said he had mobilised the entire military as well as police to respond to the quake – deploying engineers, rescue workers and search dogs. Emergency crews at the site of a collapse building in Cali Credit: Getty A man rests near the site of damage in Pereira Credit: Getty Damage in Pereira, one of the worst hit cities in Colombia Credit: Getty Hundreds of buildings have collapsed across Colombia, including in Pereira Credit: Getty The country’s Aviation Authority reported widespread damage at airports in Pereira, Manizales, Quibdo, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura – with all flights grounded. Across the country, around 1,600 buildings were damaged or collapsed. Soldiers, rescuers and families picked through the rubble, removing large pieces of concrete by hand down lines of volunteers. US secretary of state Marco Rubio said America “stands ready to support” the country. The US Department of State described the disaster as “devastating” and pledged £11.5million to help provide emergency shelter and supplies. The EU is also providing funding and supporting rescue operations, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said. One of Columbia’s most famous stars Shakira offered her condolences after the earthquake struck her homeland. The epicenter of the quake was in San Jose Del Palmar – located some 250 miles west of Bogota, the US Geological Survey reported. The quake follows two back-to-back 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes in Venezuela in late June. Those earthquakes destroyed hundreds of buildings and killed more than 5,000 people. Comment now