Colombia Begins Digging Out After Powerful Earthquake

At least 111 people were killed and dozens of buildings collapsed in cities across western Colombia on Monday after a powerful 7.4 earthquake struck the South American nation. The quake trapped residents under debris, leaving more injured and forcing people to evacuate their homes as far as the capital of Bogota, per the AP. The epicenter was in San Jose Del Palmar, a community of about 4,800 people in the Choco region about 250 miles west of Bogota, the US Geological Survey and Colombia's counterpart reported. The USGS said it struck at a depth of 66 miles. The quake also was felt in neighboring Ecuador and Panama, though minimal damage was reported there.

The quake left cities across the west of the country—Pereira, Quibdo, Cali, and Manizales—ravaged. A mix of residents and search teams picked through the rubble of collapsed buildings amid concerns by authorities of aftershocks. Colombia's interior minister said more than 20 municipalities across the country had been hit. Colombia's Geological Service said Monday that it had been "the highest magnitude earthquake registered in Colombia in the last decade" and that it had been followed by two 2.8 and 4.8 magnitude aftershocks.
This file has been updated with the change in the death toll estimate.