Bogot¡: At least 20 people were killed when a powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday. The earthquake’s epicenter was near San Jos© del Palmar in the Choc³ region and occurred at a depth of 115 kilometers, causing widespread panic and destruction.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the earthquake led to the collapse of multiple buildings, leaving several individuals trapped under the debris. The tremors were felt across a large area, including the country’s Pacific coast and the city of Pereira, and extended as far as the capital, Bogot¡, and neighboring Venezuela. Local authorities are working to assess the full extent of the damage.

Nubia Carolina C³rdoba-Curie, governor of the Choc³ region, expressed her concerns about potential aftershocks on social media platform X, stating, “We have just experienced a strong earthquake in the Choc³ region, and we are concerned about aftershocks.” She also noted injuries and significant damage to buildings in the capital, Quebdo, and mentioned that the first official damage report would be forthcoming.

Juan Diego Pati±o, governor of the Risaralda region, reported that Pereira, the regional capital, suffered significant damage to some structures. Meanwhile, Alejandro Eder, mayor of Cali, confirmed that at least 20 buildings had collapsed due to the earthquake, with rescue efforts ongoing to free those trapped under the rubble.

Despite the severity of the quake, the US Tsunami Warning System indicated that there was no tsunami warning issued, providing some relief to coastal communities.