Colombia Earthquake Toll Rises to at Least 111
The death toll from the powerful earthquake that struck western Colombia has risen to at least a hundred and eleven, officials said, with dozens of people still trapped in the rubble of collapsed buildings. The magnitude-7.4 quake, centred in the Chocó region some 250 miles west of Bogotá, brought down dozens of structures. Colombia’s new president was leading the emergency response as rescuers reached the worst-hit areas.
The toll has more than doubled since the first count on Monday, and was expected to climb further as crews reached remote mountain towns cut off by landslides and damaged roads. It is among the deadliest quakes to strike Colombia in years, in a region that sits on the seismically restless edge of the South American plate. Aftershocks have hampered the search, and thousands have been left homeless or sheltering outdoors. President Abelardo de la Espriella, only recently inaugurated, faces an early test of his government’s disaster response. Watch for the confirmed casualty figures as rescuers reach the epicentre.