A powerful seven point four magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia Monday morning, killing more than fifty people and causing widespread destruction across multiple cities.

The United States Geological Survey reported the quake occurred at seven thirty-four a.m. local time, centered near San Jose del Palmar in the Chocó province at a depth of about sixty-six miles. Shaking was felt as far away as the capital city of Bogotá and neighboring Ecuador and Venezuela.

Emergency response crews and search-and-rescue teams are working to free residents trapped beneath collapsed structures. Heavy damage has been reported in Cali, Pereira, Manizales, and the provincial capital of Quibdó, where dozens of commercial and residential buildings have suffered structural failure.

Colombian officials have established a unified command post to coordinate relief operations, assess structural damage, and assist affected families as search efforts continue.