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At least 20 people died this Monday in Pereira and Manizales, two cities in central Colombia, one of the areas most affected by the 7.4 magnitude earthquake that shook much of the national territory, local authorities reported.
"So far, we have registered 18 dead people" in Pereira, the mayor of that city, Mauricio Salazar, told the Caracol Radio station.
On the other hand, the mayor of Manizales, Jorge Eduardo Rojas Giraldo, capital of the neighboring department of Caldas, assured that at least two people died in that city.
"So far we have recorded two deaths," the mayor assured the Colombian station Blu Radio, who also reported that between 20 and 30 homes collapsed in the city, in addition to several churches that suffered damage from the seismic movement, and that the Mayor's Office has already set up three shelters in different areas of the city.
Material damage in that Colombian coffee region includes the detachment of part of the roof of the Matecaña International Airport in Pereira, which remains closed, as do those in Manizales and Armenia, in the same region, according to the aeronautical authority, as well as damage to churches and cathedrals.
"We managed to get the grandparents out. The apartment is in bad shape, the building is totally destroyed," Johanna Ramírez, a resident of Pereira who cares for an elderly couple, told EFE.
In videos released after the earthquake, it can be seen how the central spire of the San José church in Pereira falls off, while several people who were on the street hold onto a police motorcycle and other elements in the environment while being shaken by the tremor, amidst the chaos and confusion.
In another video recorded in Pereira, it can be seen how part of a hotel facade falls off, while the person recording the images assures that those who were at the scene are "fine".
The earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.4 according to the Colombian Geological Service (SGC), had its epicenter in the town of San José del Palmar, in the department of Chocó, located in the Pacific region, although the coffee region in the center of the country was one of the most affected by the quake.
[Publicidad]