At least 20 dead in Colombia, say local officials, after magnitude 7.4 earthquake
A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Colombia, resulting in at least 20 deaths and significant structural damage. Local residents noted the effectiveness of strict seismic-resistant building codes in preventing further collapse.
Why it matters
Highlights the human cost of natural disasters and the importance of urban planning and building regulations in earthquake-prone regions.
Journalist and meteorologist Luis Felipe Molina grew up and has lived most of his life in the city of Manizales in Colombia’s coffee region - roughly 150km (93 miles) from where the earthquake struck.
He was six when a deadly earthquake hit Colombia on 25 January, 1999 and became interested in understanding the science behind them as a result.
He tells BBC Mundo that major earthquakes have happened in the area with a certain regularity. Before 1999, there were ones in 1962 and 1979.
As a result, Manizales has “very strict seismic-resistant building regulations”.
Evidence of this is the fact that the 17-storey building where he lives remained standing despite the tremendous force that shook it on Monday morning.
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