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At least 250 people have been confirmed dead after a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck Colombia on Tuesday, with rescuers continuing to recover bodies from the rubble of collapsed buildings.
Government sources provided the information, while another source reported that 254 bodies had been recovered from the rubble by Tuesday morning local time (midnight Bangladesh time).
The death toll is expected to rise as many people remain trapped under the debris.
The highest number of deaths has been reported in the western mountainous city of Pereira, where 101 people have reportedly died. Cali, one of Colombia’s largest cities, has recorded the second-highest number of fatalities.
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake was centred in San Jose del Palmar in the department of Chocó, around 400 kilometres west of the capital Bogotá, at a depth of 107 kilometres.
The USGS said at least 21 aftershocks were recorded within hours of the main quake.
The earthquake struck just three days after Colombia’s new President Abelardo de la Espriella was sworn in last Friday.
The president has already visited Chocó, the worst-affected department, and announced an assistance budget of more than $10.8 billion for earthquake victims.