At least 48 people have died in Colombia as a consequence of the earthquake of magnitude 7.4 that shook the west of the country this Monday at 7:34 AM, local time, according to the first reports. The magnitude 7.4 earthquake that has shaken the country has forced the suspension of operations at least seven airports in the country while authorities inspect the facilities to determine the damage caused by the quake.
The Civil Aeronautics of Colombia (Aerocivil) has reported in a second update that the Alfonso Bonilla Aragón international airport, which serves Cali, joins the six terminals whose activity had already been paralyzed: Pereira, Manizales, Quibdó, Armenia, Cartago, and Buenaventura.
"For safety, air operations at these terminals remain suspended until structural damage to the infrastructure is assessed," the agency has communicated.
Seven affected airports
The suspension affects some of the areas hardest hit by the earthquake. The airports of Pereira, Manizales, and Armenia are located in the Coffee Axis, where significant damage and fatalities have been reported.
The airport of Quibdó, the main airport terminal of the department of Chocó, where the epicenter of the earthquake was located, near the municipality of San José del Palmar, also remains without operations.
They are joined by the airports of Cartago and Buenaventura, both located in the department of Valle del Cauca, and the Alfonso Bonilla Aragón of Cali.
Aerocivil maintains a "permanent monitoring" of the situation as inspections progress and has recommended that passengers consult official channels and contact their respective airlines before traveling to the airports, as itineraries may be subject to changes.
Cali joins the list
The inclusion of the airport in Cali expands the impact of the earthquake on the country's air connections. The capital of Valle del Cauca is also one of the cities where significant material damage has been reported.
According to the mayor of Cali, Alejandro Eder, at least 20 buildings have collapsed in the city. Emergency services continue to work to assess the consequences of the earthquake and review the affected structures.
The suspension of flights will remain in place at the seven terminals until evaluations allow determining that the infrastructures meet the necessary conditions to safely resume operations.
Aerocivil has not specified at the moment when normal activity will be able to recover, so it recommends that those who plan to fly to or from any of the affected cities check the status of their flight directly with the airline.