132 killed in powerful Colombia earthquake

International

COLOMBIA was hit by one of its strongest earthquakes in years, leaving at least 132 people dead.

Authorities said the death toll is likely to increase as several victims are feared trapped under collapsed buildings.

According to a report by BBC, the magnitude 7.4 quake struck at 07:34 (12:34 GMT) at a depth of 103km (64 miles) in Chocó province, the country's geological service said.

The tremor was felt across an enormous area, stretching for hundreds of miles across western Colombia.

Most of the fatalities were in the city of Pereira, in Colombia's coffee-growing region, with surrounding cities and the Valle del Cauca region also hit hard.

The epicenter of the quake was near the village of San José del Palmar, in Chocó province, but local mayor León Fabio Marín Moncada said that there had miraculously been no deaths or injuries - despite the roads in and out being damaged.

Close to 500 people were also injured, according to Colombia's Association of Capital Cities.

Local authorities have reported at least 40 people dead in the city's metropolitan area, with 65 collapsed buildings. People are believed to be trapped in 15 of them.

A curfew has also been enforced in some parts of the city until 05:00 local time on Tuesday.(MyTVCebu)