Magnitude 7.4 Earthquake Strikes Colombia: Death Toll Rises to 164

[Anchor]

The death toll from the magnitude 7.4 strong earthquake that struck western Colombia has continued to rise, reaching 164 so far. Desperate search and rescue operations are underway to find people trapped under the rubble at collapsed building sites.

[Reporter]

A four-story building shakes and collapses completely.

Terrified residents scream and evacuate as dust fills the air.

Some buildings have toppled entirely onto their sides.

As ceiling materials fell at an airport, passengers took cover under tables.

The death toll from the magnitude 7.4 earthquake that hit western Colombia on the morning of the 10th, local time, has risen to 164.

Reports of suspected missing persons have also exceeded 2,000.

Although the earthquake occurred in a mountainous region of Choco Department on the Pacific coast, damage has been reported consecutively in cities further east, such as Pereira, Cali, and Manizales.

[Sandra / Resident of Cali : The shaking from the earthquake was very strong. It felt like it would never end, but thank God.]

With over 5,000 buildings collapsed or damaged, desperate rescue operations to save people trapped under building debris have entered their second day.

[Rescue Worker : If you can hear my voice, please shout.]

President Espriella, who took office just three days before the earthquake, declared a state of national emergency and mobilized military troops for search and rescue operations.

[Espriella / President of Colombia : With God's help and the efforts of the new government, we will surely overcome this disaster that has plunged Colombia into grief.]

The Colombian Geological Service stated that this is the most powerful earthquake since the one 27 years ago in 1999, which shook the coffee-producing region and caused around 1,000 deaths.

Most of South Korea's 800 expatriates live in the capital, Bogota, which is 230 km away from the epicenter. While no damage has been reported yet, they reportedly felt strong tremors.

(Video Editing: Jung Seong-hun)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.