At least 132 people have been killed and hundreds remain missing after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia, triggering a major search-and-rescue operation.
The Colombian Geological Service described the quake as the strongest recorded in the country this century. It struck on Monday near San Jose del Palmar in the Choco region, about 400 kilometres west of the capital, Bogota, and was felt in neighbouring Ecuador and Panama.
Cali, Pereira, Quibdo and Manizales were among the worst-hit cities, with buildings collapsing and hundreds of structures damaged. In Cali alone, local officials reported at least 20 collapsed buildings and about 380 damaged structures.
Authorities said at least 40 people were killed in Risaralda, 27 in Valle del Cauca and 12 in Choco. Rescue teams and residents have been searching through rubble for survivors, while communications outages have hampered efforts in some areas.
Colombian President Abelardo de La Espriella declared a national state of emergency and said rescuing people trapped under the rubble was the government's top priority.
The United States has pledged $15.5 million in emergency assistance, while El Salvador, Mexico, Chile, Israel, Ecuador and France have also offered support.
At least 21 aftershocks were recorded within hours of the main earthquake, while several airports in western Colombia were temporarily closed for structural inspections.
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