A major earthquake, with its epicentre at a depth of 97 kilometres, struck at 7.34 am on Monday 10 August, triggering a national emergency in Colombia.

San José del Palmar, in the north-west and next to the Pacific coast, was the epicentre of a 7.4-magnitude earth tremor. However, all regions within the triangle formed by Cali, Medellín and Bogotá have been severely affected. Pereira is one of the cities with the worst reports about destruction.

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After the first 24 hours of searching for survivors and assessing the damage, the authorities report at least 224 dead, 900 injured and thousands missing. In the city of Cali alone, 32 buildings collapsed.

However, there are rural areas that remain cut off and to which no external access has yet been gained, with telephone lines operating intermittently.

Eyewitness accounts describe health centres receiving people with all kinds of fractures.

When the first tremor struck, the ground “jumped” and sounded “like a bomb” whilst some people were on their way to work, witnesses have told the media. The Colombian Geological Service has reported several aftershocks.

Images shared on social media show people leaving their homes and trying to weather the tremor in groups on the street, whilst some buildings were crumbling.

In regions such as Chocó, the authorities explained that “there is no electricity or mobile phone service”.

Cities severely affected by the earthquake include Manizales, Armenia and Quibdó. Among the damaged infrastructure are hospitals and schools.

Initial response from Christians

In Colombia, a high percentage of the population identifies as Christian, with over 10 per cent being evangelicals. In some videos on social media, citizens can be seen praying and asking for God’s help in the midst of the disaster.

Christian congregations on the ground are among the organisations responding by offering aid to those affected.

World Vision, a Christian organisation, explained in the early hours that whilst it is continuing its work in Venezuela, it has also mobilised its teams in Colombia to respond. Other international Christian organisations are assessing the situation during these first hours.

Colombian family members living in other countries, such as Spain, have been trying to contact their loved ones in Colombia by telephone or via social media to ensure they are safe.

National emergency: memories of 1999

The country’s president, Abelardo de la Espriella, who had been in office for just two days, has declared a national emergency. Neighbouring countries have offered their help and solidarity to Colombia.

The last major earthquake to be remembered in this region of Colombia, known as the ‘coffee belt’, was in 1999; although it was of a lower magnitude, it claimed more than a thousand lives.