Dozens killed after 7.4-magnitude earthquake devastates Colombia
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A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Colombia, causing widespread destruction and killing dozens of people. Footage captured the moment a church collapsed, with other buildings also crumbling and burying people beneath the rubble, making it one of the region's most powerful recent earthquakes.
Rescue teams worked to reach survivors trapped under collapsed structures across the affected areas, though the full extent of casualties, injuries and structural damage was not confirmed. Details of the disaster remained limited overall, with the death toll having risen from initial reports of "multiple deaths" to dozens killed as search and rescue efforts continued.
- 7.4-magnitude earthquake hits Colombia, killing dozens
- Church and other buildings collapse, trapping people beneath rubble
- Rescue teams search for survivors as full toll remains unclear
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Colombia sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", a zone where several tectonic plates meet, making it one of the more earthquake-prone countries in South America. Large quakes have hit the region before, sometimes with heavy loss of life, because of a mix of high seismic activity and buildings that are not always constructed to withstand strong shaking.
A 7.4-magnitude earthquake is a major event by any measure, capable of causing severe damage over a wide area, especially to older or poorly reinforced structures such as churches and homes. The key players in a disaster of this kind are typically the national government and emergency services, who lead the search and rescue effort, alongside local communities directly affected and international bodies that may offer aid.
Earthquakes of this size matter because their impact often extends well beyond the initial event, with aftershocks, damaged infrastructure and disrupted access to affected areas complicating rescue and recovery efforts for days or weeks afterwards. The true human and material cost usually only becomes clear gradually, as rescue teams reach harder-hit or more remote locations.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Huge 7.4-magnitude earthquake hits Colombia, burying people beneath collapsed buildings, with multiple deaths”.