Deadly earthquake in Colombia hits Manizales, damaging cathedral and homes
Manizales, in Colombia’s western Caldas department, was among the areas hardest hit by Monday’s 7.4-magnitude earthquake, with streets littered with rubble as rescue teams searched damaged buildings for survivors.
Footage from 10 August shows collapsed buildings and ambulances as residents make their way through areas closed off by authorities. One of the side towers of the city’s neo-Gothic Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary was also brought down by the force of the tremor, sending debris into the surrounding streets.
At least two people were killed in Manizales, while dozens of homes and commercial buildings were destroyed or severely damaged. The mayor said more than a dozen commercial properties and over 20 homes had been partially or completely destroyed. Engineers were inspecting cracked facades and weakened structures to determine which buildings needed to be evacuated.
The city activated an emergency command centre, opened temporary shelters and suspended classes in schools and universities. Flights at Manizales airport were halted while engineers checked the runways and terminal for damage, while the city's cable car service was also suspended pending safety inspections.
A curfew was imposed to prevent looting and allow rescue and assessment work to continue. Firefighters and rescue teams remained on the ground as authorities warned that people could still be trapped beneath the rubble.
The earthquake struck at 7:34 a.m. local time on Monday, with its epicentre near San José del Palmar in Chocó, around 400 kilometres west of Bogotá. The government declared a national disaster to speed up rescue operations and provide assistance to affected communities.