Harrowing Video Captures Building Collapse as Powerful 7.4 Quake Rocks Colombia, Killing at Least 111

A terrifying video circulating widely Monday shows the moment a multi-story building crumbled to the ground in the heart of Pereira, Colombia, as a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake tore through the western part of the country, killing at least 111 people and injuring dozens more.

The footage, filmed near Bolívar Park beside the distinctive “El Bolívar Desnudo” statue, captures stunned residents watching from the plaza as the structure suddenly gives way. A massive cloud of dust and debris engulfs the square while people scream and scramble for safety. Birds can be seen scattering erratically across the sky in the chaotic moments surrounding the collapse.

The quake struck at 7:34 a.m. local time near San José del Palmar in the sparsely populated Chocó department along Colombia’s Pacific coast, according to the U.S. Geological Survey and Colombia’s geological service. It was the strongest tremor recorded in the country in the past decade and was felt across much of the nation as well as in neighboring Ecuador, Venezuela, and Panama. No tsunami threat was issued.

President Abelardo de la Espriella, who took office only days earlier, confirmed the death toll had climbed to 111 with at least 87 injured. He declared a national emergency and said the priority was rescuing those still trapped under rubble. “The first priority is rescuing the people trapped under the rubble,” the president stated.

Pereira, a major city in Colombia’s coffee-growing region roughly 35 miles from the epicenter, was among the hardest hit. Local Mayor Mauricio Salazar described the situation as “critical,” reporting multiple building collapses and significant casualties in the area. Social media and news video showed the structure in Bolívar Park disintegrating as bystanders fled in panic.

Elsewhere, one of the towers of the neo-Gothic cathedral in nearby Manizales partially collapsed, and the terminal at Pereira’s Matecaña International Airport suffered roof damage that sent debris falling on travelers. Flights were suspended at several regional airports while inspectors assessed structural integrity. In Cali, Colombia’s third-largest city, officials reported numerous buildings down and residents trapped.

Rescue teams and residents worked through the afternoon and evening, forming human chains and digging through debris in search of survivors. Aftershocks, including one measured at magnitude 4.8, added to the tension as authorities warned people to stay outdoors.

The disaster marks an early test for Colombia’s new government. Officials say more than 1,500 residential buildings were damaged, with dozens fully destroyed. Search-and-rescue operations continued into the night under the threat of further aftershocks.