132 killed, 570 injured after magnitude 7.4 earthquake hits Colombia

At least 132 people have died and 570 others have been injured after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Colombia earlier on Monday, CNN reported, citing the Colombian Association of Capital Cities.

The association, which participated in a disaster response meeting with the president, said the city of Pereira alone has reported 60 deaths.

According to the association, five capital cities across the country are under a red alert. It added that 86 buildings have collapsed and operations at seven airports have been suspended, CNN reported.

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Pereira, a city of around 500,000 people, lies less than 64 km from the epicentre, according to The New York Times.

Tremors were felt in several cities across Colombia, including the capital Bogota, where alarms sounded and people in several buildings evacuated to the streets as a precaution.

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Earlier, President Abelardo de la Espriella said that 1,577 residential buildings had been damaged, while 37 others were completely destroyed. He added that more than 60 buildings had collapsed, along with damage to 18 health centres and 52 schools, The New York Times reported.

The department of Risaralda in western-central Colombia has emerged as the worst-hit area, Risaralda Governor Juan Diego Patino told radio station BluRadio, CNN reported.