At least 111 killed after powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake strikes western Colombia

At least 111 people have been killed after a powerful earthquake struck western Colombia, tearing down buildings across several cities and leaving others trapped in the rubble.

Colombia's president Abelardo De La Espriella said at least 87 people were injured and declared an emergency to expedite funding for the recovery while saying he would visit the disaster zone.

The 7.4 magnitude quake struck near San José del Palmar, some 150 miles west of Bogotá, at 7.34am local time on Monday, with tremors felt in major cities nationwide.

The highest reported death toll was in the western province of Risaralda in Colombia's coffee-growing region, where authorities reported 42 fatalities.

Britain’s foreign office advised against all but essential travel to parts of Colombia, reporting the closure of six airports and warning of the possibility of aftershocks.

The quake struck just days after far-right populist Mr De La Espriella was sworn in as president, thrusting the new administration into its first major crisis.

"We aren't going to leave people alone. They are in our hearts and we are going to tend to people with our full determination," the president said.

At least 18 people were killed in Pereira, mayor Mauricio Salazar told Caracol Radio, while others continue to remain trapped in collapsed buildings.

Two others were killed in Manizales, mayor Jorge Eduardo Rojas said in an interview with Blu Radio. The number of people injured is yet to be confirmed.

One person died in Buenaventura, Colombia's main Pacific port, when a building collapsed, trapping several people, authorities said.

And people remained trapped in Cali, one of Colombia's largest cities, after more than two dozen structures collapsed, mayor Alejandro Eder said.

He added that the city had asked authorities in Bogota and Medellin to send disaster teams to support rescue efforts.

“At this point, two people have already been rescued alive, one elderly woman and one young girl. There are more people trapped,” Eder told Blu Radio.

“We have at least 12 critical points and 25 collapsed structures that we are responding to.”

De La Espriella said in a video filmed while flying to Bogota that he was suspending his planned activities to lead emergency coordination efforts out of the capital.

Colombia's civil aviation authority said flights were suspended at airports in Pereira, Manizales, Quibdo, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura while inspectors checked for structural damage.

Initial statements suggested that the quake’s depth was 79km before this was upgraded to 96km (60 miles) with the tremor magnitude increased to 7.4.

Witnesses in the Venezuelan border state of Tachira and the central-western city of Barquisimeto reported the quake had been felt there.

No tsunami warning was issued in the aftermath of the incident, the US tsunami warning system confirmed.

Reports from nine departments and all 32 departmental capitals where the quake was experienced were received by Colombia’s disaster agency triggering evacuations and damage reports.

The National Unit for Disaster Risk Management in Colombia said it is in communication with local officials to evaluate potential damage but no major destruction has been reported in the capital.

The region was hit by devastating twin earthquakes near Caracas in Venezuela in June, which killed over 6,000 people. Witnesses told Reuters that they felt the tremors in the border state of Tachira and the central-western city of Barquisimeto.

Colombia’s location on the Pacific Ring of Fire makes it highly susceptible to earthquakes. The Ring of Fire is a belt where the Earth’s tectonic plates meet, with around 90 per cent of the planet’s largest earthquakes occurring here.

The country’s most devastating quake occurred in August 1868, killing around 70,000 people.