By Peter Omopo
Five airports in Colombia have been closed to regular passenger operations following a powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake that struck the country on Monday, as emergency responders intensify search and rescue efforts across affected areas.
Colombia’s civil aviation authority, Aeronáutica Civil, said airports in Pereira, Manizales, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura were being restricted to medical and government flights while authorities assess possible damage to airport infrastructure.
Operations at Guillermo León Valencia Airport in Popayán have also been restricted due to emissions from the nearby Puracé volcano.
The aviation authority said it was supporting emergency agencies with firefighting and search and rescue personnel while assisting authorities in assessing damage to critical infrastructure.
Passengers affected by the disruptions have been advised to contact their respective airlines for information regarding their flights.
According to the Colombian Geological Service, the earthquake struck western Colombia with its epicentre located about 107 kilometres below San José del Palmar in the Chocó region.
The tremor is reportedly the strongest earthquake to hit Colombia in more than a decade.
Dozens of people have been reported dead, while buildings, roads and other infrastructure have sustained damage in several locations. Authorities have also ordered the closure of schools in some affected areas as assessments continue.
Rescue operations have intensified as emergency agencies work to determine the full scale of the destruction. Footage from southern Cali showed a three-storey building that had largely collapsed, with rescuers searching through concrete slabs and twisted metal for possible survivors.
Emergency workers reportedly rescued a woman alive from the rubble in Cali as residents gathered around the scene.
In Manizales, part of an apartment building collapsed, while the city’s cathedral sustained significant damage, leaving its clock tower leaning heavily.
Other images showed residents fleeing as sections of a hospital building’s façade fell onto the street.
Authorities have cautioned that the full extent of the damage and casualties remains unclear, particularly in areas where damaged roads have made access difficult for emergency teams.
The United States is monitoring the situation and has expressed its readiness to provide assistance, according to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Search and rescue operations, medical interventions and infrastructure assessments are expected to continue as Colombian authorities work to establish the final death toll and determine the extent of the damage caused by the earthquake.
