Colombia death toll rises to 224 as thousands remain missing after 7.4 magnitude quake
A 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia, with the epicentre near San Jose del Palmar, leaving at least 224 people dead and thousands unaccounted for.
The confirmed death toll from a 7.4 magnitude earthquake in Colombia has risen to at least 224, according to reports from France 24 International. The seismic event struck the western part of the country, prompting a large-scale emergency response as authorities grapple with the scale of the destruction.
The epicentre was located near the municipality of San Jose del Palmar in the Choco region, approximately 400km west of the capital, Bogota. Technical data from the United States Geological Survey indicates the tremor occurred at a depth of 107km. The initial reports of the disaster indicated a lower death toll of 47, highlighting the rapid escalation of the crisis in the hours following the event.
With thousands of people still missing, officials have cautioned that the number of casualties is expected to continue climbing. The exact number of those unaccounted for has not been specified beyond the general estimate of thousands, a figure that remains preliminary pending official verification from local rescue teams.
Rescue operations are currently underway in the affected area, though the depth of the quake and the remote location of the epicentre present significant challenges for emergency responders. The disparity between the initial and current death toll underscores the difficulties in assessing the full impact of the disaster in real-time.
As the situation develops, the focus remains on locating the missing and providing aid to survivors. The rising death toll serves as a stark indicator of the severity of the infrastructure damage and the human cost of the earthquake in western Colombia.
