The strong earthquake of magnitude 7.4 on the Richter scale registered this Monday in the municipality of San José del Palmar, in the northwest of Colombia, has so far caused 181 deaths and 1,246 injuries, according to the provisional balance released by the Colombian Association of Capital Cities (Asocapitales).
The data released by Asocapitales only covers the situation in the departmental capitals, so it is estimated that the actual number of victims will be higher, as it does not yet include the deceased and injured from the municipalities and small towns affected by the earthquake. This tremor has kept the cities of Pereira, Cali, Quibdó, Manizales, and Armenia on red alert.
In its latest report, the entity has indicated that 97% of the confirmed deaths have occurred in capitals. The hardest-hit cities are Cali and Pereira, with 95 and 72 deceased, respectively, while Quibdó has nine fatalities and Manizales, five.
Pereira, capital of the department of Risaralda, borders San José del Palmar, in Chocó, where the epicenter of the earthquake was located this Monday around 7:34 AM local time, at a depth of 103 kilometers.
After the initial incidents, including looting, several local authorities have declared a curfew in order to contain the disturbances and facilitate the work of rescue and emergency teams. At the same time, the presence of the Army has increased on the streets to reinforce security.
In the coming days, Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella is scheduled to tour the most damaged areas. He has already visited Quibdó, capital of the department of Chocó, where the epicenter of what is already considered the worst earthquake Colombia has experienced in the last decade has been recorded.
Since this first stop, the Colombian president has announced the delivery of the first economic aid to more than 1,400 affected families to rebuild their homes, in addition to the transfer of the injured to medical centers in Medellín.