Colombia scrambles to find survivors as quake kills 132

Colombia is scrambling to find survivors after the country's strongest earthquake in a decade killed at least 132 people and smashed dozens of buildings.

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

The 7.4-magnitude quake struck cities across Colombia’s western region shortly after 7:30 a.m. on Monday, sending panicked residents into the streets. As of Monday afternoon, the death toll stood at 132, with more than 570 injured, according to the Colombian Association of Capital Cities. President Abelardo de la Espriella, who was sworn into office just three days prior, declared a state of emergency and pledged a comprehensive rescue effort.

Pereira, one of the hardest-hit cities, experienced widespread power outages, creating a grim scene as volunteers searched for life under collapsed structures. "We’re without power. This seems honestly like a zombie city," one resident told AFP.

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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, with buildings damaged, furniture crushed, and debris strewn across roads. In Manizales, a tower of the city's neo-Gothic cathedral crumbled. In Quibdo, the capital of the Choco department, public services and communications were severely disrupted.

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

Residents described terrifying moments as the ground shook violently. Many fled their homes, with some jumping from upper floors. "People were praying in the street. It was overwhelming," one law student recalled. The quake, occurring at a depth of 110 kilometers (68 miles), was also felt in neighboring Ecuador and Panama.

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People were praying in the street. It was overwhelming.