More than 100 people killed in powerful earthquake in Colombia (photo)

**132 killed, 570 injured in Colombia earthquake (photo)**

A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck Colombia on August 10, killing 132 people and injuring 570, CNN reported.

Rescuers are continuing to pull people from the rubble, and the death toll may rise. The children's and neonatal departments of a hospital in Cali are among the buildings that were destroyed. The government has declared a national disaster in the country and mobilized the military to the area.

The epicenter of the earthquake was located in the western Colombian city of San Jose del Palmar, and the tremors were also felt in the capital. Alarms were sounded and residents were evacuated to the streets for safety reasons.

**Photo:** The rubble of a collapsed building in Cali is being cleared / Reuters

**Photo:** Bodies of earthquake victims / AFP

The quake brought back memories of a tragedy that struck Colombia more than 25 years ago. On January 25, 1999, a 6.1-magnitude earthquake in the coffee-growing region killed 1,185 people, injured more than 8,500 and destroyed 35,972 homes. Most of the deaths (about 921) and the worst damage were in the city of Armenia.

"I was very young, but I remember that tragedy. Now it's happening again in the same coffee-growing region, in Pereira and Manizales. I don't even want to think about what those people are going through. It's all very sad," said Carlos Atiesta, a professor at the National University.

**Photo:** Damage to the cathedral in Manizales / AFP

The 1999 disaster prompted Colombia to better prepare for major earthquakes. Cities such as Bogota, Medellin, Barranquilla and Cali now conduct evacuation drills at least twice a year.

**Photo:** Earthquake-hit Manizales / AFP

**Photo:** Woman pulled from rubble in Cali / AFP

**Photo:** At least twenty buildings collapsed in Cali / AP Photo

**Photo:** Search for survivors begins in Pereira / AP Photo

**Photo:** A man is pulled from the rubble / AP Photo

**Photo:** Residents and rescuers search through the rubble after an earthquake in Colombia / AP Photo

**Photo:** Assistance is provided to those injured in the earthquake / AP Photo

**Photo:** A car trapped under the rubble / AP Photo

**Photo:** AP Photo

For information, a 5.6 magnitude earthquake struck Egypt on August 3. The tremors were also felt in Israel, the Gaza Strip, Jordan and Lebanon. A powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck Japan on July 28, killing 38 people. The previous major earthquake was in Venezuela. On June 24, two consecutive earthquakes in the country killed more than 5,200 people. The earthquakes had magnitudes above 7.