'Worst This Century' Magnitude 7.4 Earthquake Hits Colombia; Over 170 Dead

[Anchor]

More than 170 people have died so far in Colombia following the most powerful earthquake to hit the country in the 21st century. Chaos erupted across various parts of Colombia struck by the massive tremor.

Reporter Park Jaehyeon has the story.

[Reporter]

A precarious 4-story building collapses completely.

The once-peaceful street is instantly engulfed in thick dust and the screams of people.

At a medical facility, as exterior walls begin to fall off one by one, a desperate dash for survival begins.

Airport passengers take cover under tables as parts of the ceiling collapse.

[Earthquake Witness: I thought it was the end right there. It was hard to believe.]

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia in South America at 7:34 AM on Monday, local time.

This is the strongest earthquake to hit Colombia since a magnitude 6.2 quake killed about 1,000 people in 1999.

The epicenter was located in the Choco department, about 230 km in a straight line from the capital city of Bogota, with damage concentrated in cities such as Pereira and Cali.

Reports indicate that 164 people have died and more than 800 others have been injured so far.

Amid difficulties in rescue operations due to a shortage of personnel and equipment, the number of missing persons reported to a private database has exceeded 2,700.

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella, who took office three days before the earthquake, declared a state of national emergency and deployed military troops to rescue and search operations.

[Abelardo de la Espriella / President of Colombia: With the help of God and the efforts of the new government, we will surely overcome the disaster that has plunged Colombia into sorrow.]

Choco department, where the earthquake struck, features extensive jungle and mountainous terrain. Due to the earthquake, communications have been cut off and roads are blocked in many areas.

Consequently, it is expected to take time to ascertain the exact scale of casualties and missing persons.

South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that no casualties among Korean expatriates have been confirmed thus far.

Reported by Kim Byung-jik | Design by Seo Seung-hyun
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.