Colombia’s 7.4‑magnitude earthquake leaves 164 dead; rescue teams dig for survivors, death toll may rise.

A 7.4‑magnitude earthquake slammed Colombia’s coffee‑growing heartland early on Monday, killing at least 164 people. The quake leveled multi‑storey buildings in Pereira and Cali, cracked a tower of a historic cathedral in Manizales, and left dozens of structures leaning or collapsed. Rescue crews, backed by police, soldiers and volunteers, have been working through the night. They use excavators and, when necessary, their hands to search for survivors in the rubble. In Cali, a city of about 2.2 million, at least 85 people were reported dead. Police and military sources also noted 35 deaths and 188 people missing. The city’s hospitals suffered heavy damage: several top floors of one pediatric hospital collapsed, trapping patients and forcing about 600 residents to receive care on nearby rubble. Pereira, the capital of Risaralda, recorded 66 deaths. The city shows extensive destruction, with some residential blocks reduced to piles of concrete and twisted steel. Another 13 people died in the rural province of Choco. Security forces said 1,000 personnel would be deployed to Cali by dawn following reports of looting. Both Cali and Pereira imposed curfews on Monday night. Colombian President Abelardo De La Espriella said the government would cooperate with all efforts to protect residents. After the disaster, the European Union announced it was providing financial support and deploying its Copernicus satellite service to aid rescue and relief operations. The EU also activated a crisis consular assistance mechanism for its citizens. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif issued condolences, urging solidarity with Colombia’s people. The death toll may rise as additional casualties are discovered, and the full impact of the earthquake is still being assessed.