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Magnitude 7.4 Earthquake Strikes Colombia, Killing at Least 132

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

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  • A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Colombia and nearby Latin American countries on Tuesday morning, causing widespread damage and ongoing rescue efforts.
  • The quake's epicenter was near San José del Palmar in the Chocó department, at a depth of 107 km, and President Gustavo Petro reported at least 132 deaths and 572 injuries.
  • The affected region is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, known for intense seismic and volcanic activity, and this was the largest earthquake in Colombia in the 21st century.

A powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake rocked Colombia and neighboring Latin American nations on Tuesday morning, leaving a trail of destruction and prompting urgent search and rescue operations.

The tremor, which struck at 7:34 a.m. local time, had its epicenter near San José del Palmar in the Chocó department, approximately 107 kilometers underground, according to the Colombian Geological Survey and the U.S. Geological Survey. President Gustavo Petro announced that at least 132 people had died and 572 were injured across the country, with significant damage reported in cities like Pereira, Manizales, and Cali, in addition to the area near the epicenter.

We are with our brothers and sisters in Chocó, directly assessing the scale of this emergency and coordinating the necessary measures to assist and protect all affected families.

— Gustavo PetroColombian President Gustavo Petro's statement on the earthquake's impact and the government's response.

"We are with our brothers and sisters in Chocó, directly assessing the scale of this emergency and coordinating the necessary measures to assist and protect all affected families," Petro stated. He also directed the immediate mobilization of all state resources to aid the victims.

The Chocó region, situated on Colombia's Pacific coast, is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, a zone notorious for 90% of the world's earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. This seismic event marks the most powerful earthquake to hit Colombia in the 21st century, underscoring the region's geological vulnerability.

He also directed the immediate mobilization of all state resources to aid the victims.

— Gustavo PetroColombian President Gustavo Petro's directive regarding the government's response to the earthquake.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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