BOGOTA -- The death toll from the recent magnitude-7.4 earthquake in Colombia rose to 294 on Saturday, with 3,935 people injured, 320 missing and 353 rescued, according to the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD).

In its latest update, the agency said the disaster had affected 54,008 families, or 115,461 people, across 448 municipalities in 15 departments. It also reported that 66 buildings had collapsed, while 14,493 homes were destroyed and 81,506 others damaged.

The national government has approved the deployment of international assistance, including UN-certified search and rescue teams from the United States, Ecuador and Israel, the UNGRD said in a post on X.

The agency said Colombia's emergency response capacity had not been overwhelmed so far, while authorities were continuing to assess the need for additional international support.

BEIJING -- The Chinese government will provide Colombia with emergency cash assistance and humanitarian earthquake relief supplies to support its disaster response and post-disaster reconstruction efforts, China International Development Cooperation Agency spokeswoman Tang Ying said Saturday.

BOGOTA - The death toll from Monday's earthquake in Colombia has risen to 265, with 3,494 people injured and 496 still missing, Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella said Wednesday.

The president said more than 53,000 people had been affected by the disaster.

He said he would declare a state of economic emergency to speed up assistance to those affected, saying the government's efforts remain focused on searching for the missing.

PEREIRA/CALI — Colombia on Wednesday declared three days of mourning for victims of an earthquake that demolished buildings in the west of the country, killing more than 200 people, as rescue crews continued searching collapsed buildings in western Colombia.

The 7.4 magnitude earthquake killed at least 254 people and injured more than 2,595, while more than 100 aftershocks were recorded in affected areas as of Tuesday afternoon.

The quake, the most devastating to strike Colombia this century, hit the country's coffee-growing region early Monday, bringing down apartment blocks and homes and damaging schools, hospitals and other public facilities.

In Pereira and Cali, rescuers used cranes, excavators, sniffer dogs and their bare hands to search collapsed buildings, while volunteers formed human chains to remove debris. In Cali, residents joined firefighters with picks and shovels, while in Pereira, army units combed through concrete and exposed steel.

Many residents spent the night outdoors because their homes were damaged or because they feared further aftershocks. A park in Pereira was turned into a temporary shelter with tents and mattresses, while sports centers and other facilities were being prepared to accommodate people affected by the quake.

The earthquake also damaged hospitals and other public facilities. In Cali, part of the Hospital Universitario del Valle collapsed, forcing doctors to move patients into a parking lot and treat some people in the open air.

Thousands of families awaited safety assessments of damaged properties. Dog and cat shelters also appealed for food, medicine and volunteers, while residents brought water, food and other supplies to affected neighborhoods and lined up at blood donation centers.

Communities in Choco, close to the quake's epicenter, remained without power or basic services. On Tuesday afternoon, three airports remained closed, while many areas, particularly Choco, still lacked gas, water and electricity. Some major highways also remained closed, Reuters reported.

Damage assessment

The National Coffee Federation was working with families to assess damage to farms and rural infrastructure, while communications remained patchy in some of the worst-hit areas. Officials said it could take days to establish the full extent of the damage and the final death toll.

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella declared a state of emergency and promised rent subsidies for affected families during a visit to Pereira on Tuesday.

International assistance was also being offered. The United States announced $15.5 million in emergency aid and Mexico's president said she is prepared to send hundreds of search and health workers, tons of health supplies and other equipment.

China will provide assistance in an appropriate manner based on Colombia's needs, said Tang Ying, spokeswoman for the China International Development Cooperation Agency on Tuesday, while other countries also offered assistance.

AGENCIES VIA XINHUA

BOGOTA -- The death toll from Monday's 7.4-magnitude earthquake in western Colombia has risen to 188, with 1,677 others injured, the Colombian Association of Capital Cities, or Asocapitales, said Tuesday.

Of the total, the latest tally included 95 deaths and 997 injuries reported in the city of Cali, while Pereira reported 79 deaths and 278 injuries.

Asocapitales said it has launched a system to report and search for missing persons as rescue and damage assessment work continues.

In accordance with Colombia's needs, China stands ready to provide assistance within its capabilities and in an appropriate manner, to support the country's earthquake relief efforts, the China International Development Cooperation Agency announced on Tuesday.

China is closely following the strong earthquake that hit the South American nation and caused severe casualties and property damage, the CIDCA's spokeswoman Tang Ying said in an online statement.

The death toll from a magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck western Colombia on Monday has risen to 132, with more than 570 others injured, the Colombian government said in its latest update.

According to the preliminary report, 32 cities across the country have been seriously affected, while five departmental capitals -- Pereira, Cali, Quibdo, Manizales and Armenia - remain under red alert. Pereira reported 60 deaths, followed by Cali with 15, Quibdo with eight and Manizales with four, the report said.

A total of 86 buildings had collapsed, while operations at seven airports had been suspended due to quake-related damage.

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella said earlier that the government had declared a state of national disaster to respond to the impact of the earthquake.

The Chinese Embassy in Colombia said Monday that it had activated an emergency response mechanism immediately after the quake and was checking the situation of Chinese nationals across the country. No casualties among Chinese citizens had been reported so far, the embassy said.

According to the Colombian Geological Service, the quake struck at 7:34 a.m. local time on Monday. Its epicenter was near San Jose del Palmar, in the department of Choco, at a depth of 96 km.

China stands ready to provide assistance within its capabilities and in an appropriate manner, to support Colombia's earthquake relief efforts, the China International Development Cooperation Agency announced on Tuesday.

The death toll from a magnitude-7.4 earthquake that struck western Colombia on Monday has risen to 132, with more than 570 others injured.

Colombia declared a state of national disaster on Monday after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck the country's west.

A powerful Monday morning earthquake has killed at least 111 and injured 87 in the west part of Colombia.

Colombia's President Abelardo de la Espriella, who came to office just three days before the earthquake, declared a state of emergency to expedite funding for the quake recovery with a plan to visit the disaster zone.

"I am at the forefront of the situation. It pains me deeply what the families and affected regions are going through," he posted on X.

According to information provided by Colombian officials by mid-afternoon, the destruction included 1,575 damaged homes, 37 homes completely destroyed, 61 collapsed buildings, scores of damaged centers of health, education and community, as well as 18 damaged roads and six airports.

Airports in Pereira, Manizales, Quibdo, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura suffered structural damage, and their flight operations were suspended, according to Colombia's Civil Aviation Authority.

The tremor was felt in Colombia's capital Bogota, which is about 400 kilometers from the epicenter, setting off alarms that prompted people to evacuate many buildings as a precaution.

"At this time there are no reports of injuries or structural damage, only some cracks in buildings," Bogota Mayor Carlos Galan posted on X.

The earthquake damaged the region's major cities including Pereira, Quibdo, Manizales and Cali.

Nubia Carolina Cordoba-Curi, governor of the Choco region, posted on X on Monday morning that "in the capital Quibdo there are injuries and severe damage to buildings".

She posted an update at 2 pm that 12 people were confirmed dead and 84 injured in Choco.

Other local authorities reported at least 40 deaths in the Risaralda region and 27 deaths in the Valle del Cauca region.

Rescue efforts to save people buried under the debris is ongoing.

According to the Colombia Geological Service, the earthquake epicenter was in San Jose del Palmar, Choco. It had a magnitude of 7.4 and a depth of approximately 103 km, making it the strongest earthquake recorded in Colombia in the last decade.

The earthquake was felt by neighboring countries Venezuela, Ecuador and Panama. It was followed by several aftershocks with magnitudes between 2.8 and 4.8, according to the agency.

The agency said that it's common for this region to experience earthquakes of considerable magnitudes due to activities associated with the subduction of the Nazca Plate beneath the South American Plate.

Near the end of June, Venezuela was struck by two earthquakes — with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 — that were only 39 seconds apart. More than 6,000 people were killed, and tens of thousands of people remain missing under the debris.

mayzhou@chinadailyusa.com

BOGOTA -- The death toll from a magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck western Colombia on Monday has risen to 111 nationwide, with 87 others injured, Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella said in Bogota.

De la Espriella said the quake damaged 1,575 homes and infrastructure at six airports, where commercial flight operations have been suspended.

The Colombian government earlier Monday declared a state of national disaster to respond to the impact of the earthquake.

According to the Colombian Geological Service, the quake struck at 7:34 am local time in western Colombia. Its epicenter was near San Jose del Palmar, in the department of Choco, at a depth of 96 km.

BEIJING - A 7.5-magnitude earthquake jolted Colombia at 8:34 pm on Monday (Beijing Time), according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC).

The epicenter was monitored at 4.85 degrees north latitude and 76.15 degrees west longitude. The earthquake struck at a depth of 80 km, the center said.