A powerful Colombia earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, killing at least 20 people and damaging or collapsing buildings across several cities, authorities said.

The Colombian Geological Service and the US Geological Survey (USGS) measured the earthquake at magnitude 7.4. The epicentre was located about 100 kilometres underground in western Colombia. Colombian authorities initially recorded the quake at magnitude 6.6.

Pereira suffered some of the heaviest damage. Mayor Mauricio Salazar told Caracol Radio that 18 people had died in the city, while others remained trapped inside collapsed buildings.

“The situation is critical,” Salazar said after the earthquake struck near neighbouring Choco province.

Two people were also killed in Manizales, Mayor Jorge Eduardo Rojas told Blu Radio.

Emergency medical and rescue teams moved into affected areas as authorities assessed the scale of the destruction.

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The earthquake was felt in Ecuador, Panama and Venezuela. Colombian officials said there was no immediate threat of a tsunami following the early-morning tremor.

Buildings were evacuated in Bogota as residents rushed outside. Images broadcast by local media showed damaged and collapsed structures in several parts of the country.

The governor of Choco province reported injuries and serious structural damage in Quibdo, the department’s capital.

Pereira and Manizales also reported major damage. Both cities are located in Colombia’s Eje Cafetero, a region known for its coffee production and mountainous terrain.

Rescue teams deployed as damage spreads

Alejandro Eder, mayor of Cali, Colombia’s third-largest city, reported major damage across the city.

Authorities were using drones to assess the situation. Eder said at least 20 buildings had collapsed and that people were trapped inside some structures.

Cali requested additional rescue teams from Bogota and Medellin to support emergency operations.

Residents described the earthquake as exceptionally powerful.

“There is no electricity or cell phone coverage. It was strong, really strong. Things fell in my house,” Martha Estrada, a 66-year-old resident of the Eje Cafetero region, told AFP.

Valeria Polo, a 29-year-old content creator in Bogota, also described the shaking as extremely intense.

“The quake was very, very strong,” she said.

The earthquake disrupted transportation in western Colombia.

Six small airports suspended operations, according to the civil aeronautics agency. The affected airports serve Pereira, Manizales, Quibdo, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura.

Authorities were checking infrastructure before allowing operations to resume.

In Bogota, the damage appeared less severe.

Mayor Carlos Galan told Blu Radio that initial assessments indicated damage was largely limited to cracks in the facades of houses and buildings.

However, the powerful shaking sent residents into the streets.

AFP reporters saw people leaving buildings in their pajamas as emergency sirens sounded across the capital.

President Abelardo de la Espriella announced that he would travel to the affected region to assess the damage and coordinate the government response.

Television footage showed buildings with facades torn away and debris scattered across streets.

Emergency teams continued searching damaged structures for survivors as authorities worked to establish the full extent of the disaster.

The earthquake has also revived memories of recent major seismic events in the region.

On June 24, twin earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 struck Venezuela, killing more than 6,000 people and causing extensive property damage.

The latest earthquake has prompted a major emergency response across western Colombia, with authorities warning that the situation could evolve as rescue teams reach areas where communications and power remain disrupted.