A HUGE 7.4-magnitude earthquake has rocked Colombia killing 111 people and leaving many trapped beneath collapsed buildings.

Officials said the quake caused significant damage and injuries in multiple cities, declaring a national disaster.

Shocking footage showed buildings collapsing

People fled as buildings crumbled

Footage showed crowds searching for people trapped under the rubble

A man leaves an apartment building after an earthquake struck Cali, Colombia

Local officials have reported more than 100 deaths so far, many of whom were killed by collapsing buildings.

The highest death toll was reported in Pereira where Mayor Mauricio Salazar said at least 40 people have perished.

Earlier, 27 deaths were reported in the department of Valle de Cauca, home to Cali, Colombia’s third-largest city.

At least three children are among the dead, the department’s governor Dilian Francisca Toro said.

One person died in the coastal port city of Buenaventura after a building collapsed and trapped several people, according to mayor Ligia del Carmen Cordoba.

A further three people died in the city of Manizales, mayor ​Jorge Eduardo Rojas said.

Four deaths were also confirmed in the northwestern department of Chocó, governor Nubia Carolina Córdoba-Curi said.

In Antioquia, governor Andrés Julián reported another death after a 73-year-old was killed by falling rocks.

The epicenter was in San Jose Del Palmar – located some 250 miles west of Bogota, the US Geological Survey reported, and struck at a depth of 66 miles.

The sheer force of the quake was reportedly felt as far away as Venezuela, Panama and Ecuador.

Colombia’s Aviation Authority also reported widespread damage at airports in Pereira, Manizales, Quibdo, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura – with all flights grounded.

The facade of a hospital building collapses during an earthquake in Cali

Rescue workers search through the rubble of a collapsed building in Cali

Vehicles damaged following an earthquake in Cali, Colombia

“We ⁠have just experienced a major earthquake in the department of ⁠Choco. We are concerned about aftershocks,” Cordoba-Curi said.

“Although the epicenter was near ​San Jose del ​Palmar, there are ​injuries and significant ‌damage to buildings in the capital, Quibdo.”

The governor of neighbouring Risaralda province, Juan Diego Patino, told local radio there was “serious damage” in Pereira, the provincial capital.

“What has just occurred is very severe. The images are truly shocking, with people injured and building facades collapsed,” he said.

At least 20 buildings collapsed in Cali, Colombia’s third largest city, with people trapped inside, Mayor Alejandro Eder said.

The city has requested teams from Bogota and Medellin to help with the rescue efforts, he added.

Shocking footage showed buildings collapsing as panicked crowds fled into the street.

In Bogota, some people ran out into the street in their pajamas as sirens rang out.

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella said that he will personally oversee recovery efforts and install an emergency centre in San Jose del Palmar.

The Trump administration said they are “closely monitoring” the earthquake, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying American “stands ready to support the people of Colombia”.

He urged US citizens in Colombia to follow updates from the embassy in Bogota.

One of Columbia’s most famous stars Shakira offered her condolences after the earthquake struck her homeland today.

“Beloved Colombia, my heart goes out to everyone who felt this earthquake today and to the families who are going through such distressing times,” the singer wrote on X.

“At times like this, we Colombians know how to come together and support one another.

“All my strength and love go out to my homeland.”

The quake follows two back-to-back 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes in Venezuela in late June.

Those earthquakes destroyed hundreds of buildings and killed more than 5,000 people.

Source: https://www.the-sun.com/news/16819426/earthquake-rocks-colombia-ecuador-people-trapped/