6 airports in Colombia suspend operations after powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake
A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia early Monday, damaging six regional airports and collapsing buildings in Cali, with fears people remain trapped.
The quake struck around 7:34 a.m. local time, with its epicenter near San José del Palmar in Chocó department, about 400 kilometers west of Bogotá. Colombia’s Geological Service initially estimated the magnitude at 6.7, but later assessments by the agency and the USGS put it at 7.4.
Colombia’s Civil Aviation Authority confirmed damage at six regional airports: Pereira, Manizales, Quibdó, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura. The terminal building at Pereira’s Matecaña International Airport partially collapsed. Operations were suspended at the affected airports as authorities assess structural damage to runways and terminals.
In Cali, Mayor Alejandro Eder said 20 buildings collapsed, with people feared trapped inside. A four-story building partially collapsed in Manizales, and injuries and severe damage were reported in Quibdó, Chocó, according to regional governor Nubia Carolina Córdoba-Curi.
The quake was felt in Bogotá and across Antioquia, Cundinamarca and Meta, with shaking also reported in Ecuador and Panama. No aftershocks or tsunami warning have been reported so far.
