Colombia Earthquake Kills 132, Triggers State of Emergency

Colombia's western region reeled from the country's strongest earthquake in a decade, which killed at least 132 people and injured more than 570. The 7.4-magnitude quake struck cities across the region shortly after 7:30 a.m. on Monday, sending panicked residents into the streets.

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We're without power. This seems honestly like a zombie city.

President Abelardo de la Espriella, just three days into his term, declared a state of emergency and pledged a robust rescue effort. The city of Pereira, one of the hardest-hit areas, experienced widespread power outages, creating a scene described by a resident as a "zombie city" as volunteers searched for survivors in the rubble.

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It was a movie scene, because I saw the poles, the cables, everything moving. I'm worried about my family, my friends.

Scenes of devastation were visible across several cities. Furniture and debris were sandwiched between concrete, walls were at irregular angles, and cables lay strewn across roads. In Manizales, a tower of the city's neo-Gothic cathedral collapsed. In Quibdo, public services and communications were virtually shut down.

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People ran out naked, people jumped from the second floor of their homes.

Residents recounted terrifying moments, with one describing the quake as a "movie scene" as poles and cables swayed violently. Another recalled rushing into the street carrying nothing, finding hundreds of others praying amidst the destruction. The quake was felt across Colombia, including the capital Bogota, and in neighboring Ecuador and Panama.

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People were praying in the street. It was overwhelming.