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At least 132 people are dead and a state of emergency has been declared after Colombia was hit by one of its largest earthquakes in years.<\/b><\/p>\n
The death toll is likely to rise, with more feared trapped under collapsed buildings. <\/p>\n
The magnitude 7.4 quake struck at 07:34 (12:34 GMT) at a depth of 103km (64 miles) in Choc\u00f3 province, the country’s geological service said. It was felt across an enormous area, stretching for hundreds of miles across western Colombia. <\/p>\n
Many of the deaths have been concentrated in the city of Pereira, in Colombia’s coffee-growing region, with surrounding cities and the Valle del Cauca region also hit hard. <\/p>\n
The epicentre of the quake was near the village of San Jos\u00e9 del Palmar, in Choc\u00f3 province, but local mayor Le\u00f3n Fabio Mar\u00edn Moncada said that there had miraculously been no deaths or injuries – despite the roads in and out being damaged. <\/p>\n
At least 570 people were injured in the quakes, Colombia’s Association of Capital Cities wrote in a statement update on Monday. <\/p>\n
About 55km (34 miles) from the epicentre of the earthquake, the city of Pereira saw some of the worst damage. <\/p>\n
Videos verified by the BBC show at least one building collapsing in Plaza Bol\u00edvar, the city’s main square, with scattered debris and dust across the open space where many people had gathered.<\/p>\n
Local authorities have reported at least 67 people dead in the city’s metropolitan area, with 65 collapsed buildings. People are believed to be trapped in 15 of them. <\/p>\n
A curfew is in place in some parts of the city until 05:00 local time on Tuesday. <\/p>\n
Thirty-two buildings collapsed in Cali, located about 160km south of Pereira and about 200km from the epicentre. <\/p>\n
Dan Cutler, 29, is from London but has been in Colombia for about two months as part of a big trip with his partner, and is currently in Cali. <\/p>\n
Being woken by the earthquake, he told the BBC: “I’ve never experienced anything like it.”<\/p>\n
“We sprinted outside in our pyjamas. There’s no major structural damage to the hotel, but there are surface cracks in the walls, and paint and plaster have peeled off,” he says.<\/p>\n
There were also reports of deaths in Manizales, Quibd\u00f3, Medell\u00edn, across the Choc\u00f3 and Valle del Cauca regions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n