China embassy activates response after Colombia quake
Bastillepost · 2 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago2 MIN
Summary
A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday morning, with the death toll rising to 132 and 570 people reported injured. China’s embassy in Colombia said it activated an emergency mechanism immediately after the quake and, so far, had not received reports of Chinese citizen casualties.
Key Points
- The quake hit at 7:34 a.m. local time on Monday, about 20 kilometres from San Jose del Palmar in Choco province, at a depth of 96 kilometres.
- Colombian authorities said 32 cities were severely affected, and the government declared a national disaster status after the strong tremor.
- President Delaesprieya said more than a thousand homes were damaged, while infrastructure at several airports was hit, forcing commercial flights to be suspended.
- The Chinese embassy said Cali, Pereira and Manizales were among the hardest-hit cities, and that the quake caused hundreds of casualties and major property losses.
- The embassy urged Chinese nationals and staff of Chinese-funded institutions to watch for aftershocks, inspect buildings for cracks, and leave immediately if “X”- or “U”-shaped cracks appear.
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong and other Chinese travellers, students and businesspeople in Colombia, the embassy’s advice points to continuing risks from aftershocks, damaged buildings and possible secondary hazards. The scale of casualties, transport disruption and nationwide disaster response suggests conditions on the ground may remain unstable as rescue and damage assessments continue.