Strong earthquake in Colombia as officials report deaths, injuries and collapsed buildings

At least 132 people were killed Monday in a 7.4-magnitude earthquake that shook western Colombia, collapsing hospitals, schools and other buildings and leaving people trapped under the rubble. The worst-hit cities include Pereira, Cali, Quibdó, Manizales and Armenia, all of which remain under “red alert,” the nation’s highest-level disaster threat level, according to Colombia’s nonprofit Association of Capital Cities, which provided the death toll. Seven airports have suspended operations, and hospitals, roads, transportation, aqueducts, energy and telecommunications have been disrupted in the areas hardest hit, it said. Colombia’s newly inaugurated president, Abelardo De La Espriella, said in a national briefing that 700 people were injured in the temblor and an estimated 5,000 homes were damaged or destroyed. Earlier in the day, he declared a national disaster to allow for the mobilization and coordination of emergency efforts.