State of Emergency Declared
Bogota: International press reported that as many as 132 people are dead in a deadly earthquake of 7.4 magnitude in Colombia. A state of emergency has been declared.
Eyewitnesses told Aljazeera and AFP that powerful earthquake shook airport in Colombia, causing panic among the residents as several building collapsed.
The Hindu quoted President Abelardo de la Espriella saying that emergency teams have been rushed to help victims and search for survivors under the rubble after the quake hit the coastal Choco region.
“The national government is maintaining all its capacities deployed to protect lives, assist affected communities and deliver aid to every area that needs it,” President Abelardo de la Espriella stated from Bogota.
Media reports said the quake’s epicenter was in Colombia’s Choco region at a depth of 100 km. Multiple residential buildings have been flattened.
