Frightening videos emerge from Colombia earthquake; 5-storey building collapses, chaos at Pereira airport

The Matecaña International Airport in Pereira, Colombia, shook violently as a 7.4-magnitude earthquake shook the country on Monday (August 10). One video shows the building shaking from the outside, while another shows massive movement inside the airport as people ran around for shelter. A later video shows major damage at the airport waiting area with several portions of the structure on the ground. An eyewitness video reveals the extent of the jolting from the earthquake as he screams and hides under a table. He says in the video, "That was really hard and for a long time."

He adds after exiting the airport safely, "For a moment I thought this was it. Everything broke, everything fell apart. His video also shows the damage sustained on the outside of the airport. Several videos are now emerging from the earthquake, one of which shows a university hospital shaking and then collapsing fully.

Also Read: US announces $15.5 million emergency aid for Colombia after deadly earthquake kills 111

Deaths and injuries in Colombia earthquake

Western Colombia was struck by the huge temblor on August 10, severely impacting Chocó, Valle del Cauca, and the Coffee Axis region (Eje Cafetero). The 7.4 magnitude quake is the most powerful to hit the country this century. The epicentre was located near San José del Palmar, around 400 kilometres from Bogotá. However, the tremors also reached the capital. At least 132 deaths and over 570 injuries have been reported, with more than 2,000 people reported missing.

Worst-hit areas in the Colombian earthquake

Pereira in Risaralda was one of the worst-hit areas, which suffered major structural collapses and at least 60 deaths. In Manizales, one of the main towers of its historic Cathedral Basilica partially collapsed onto the nave. Operations were suspended at six regional airports—including Pereira, Manizales, Quibdó, Armenia, Cartago, and Buenaventura.

President Abelardo de la Espriella declared a national state of emergency and established a Unified Command Post for rescue operations. Military search-and-rescue units, canine teams, and emergency personnel are working with local volunteers to search and rescue individuals trapped under collapsed structures.