Colombia’s newly sworn-in president has declared a national disaster after a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake rocked western Colombia on Monday.
Rescue operations are in progress, and officials anticipate the number of fatalities will climb as numerous individuals stay trapped beneath debris.
The quake hit at approximately 7:30 a.m. local time, with its epicenter situated roughly 250 miles west of Bogotá. Footage captured in the area revealed buildings that had crumbled and extensive destruction.
A South Jersey woman is anxiously awaiting news from relatives impacted by the disaster.
Sandra Bruce, owner of Los Parceros Steakhouse in Pennsauken and originally from Colombia, said she discovered the earthquake while watching television Monday morning.
“He turned the TV on and looked at the news, and we saw it was a 7.4 – big earthquake,” Bruce said.
Bruce said the earthquake hit near her hometown of Pereira.
“It was very close to our city, Pereira. So we started to call the family, everybody, but we cannot get in touch,” she said.
She said she has managed to contact some relatives. Video provided by Bruce showed family members gathered in the street while the ground continued to shake.
Bruce said it has been difficult to see images of the destruction in her hometown.
“It’s a lot of damage. A lot of people die already. It’s very sad. It’s painful,” she said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a social media post Monday that the Trump administration is closely monitoring the earthquake and stands ready to help the people of Colombia.
Bruce said she hopes local efforts to collect and send supplies to Colombia will begin in the coming days.
“When we are here, we can’t do nothing. It’s very sad,” she said.
The Colombian Consulate in Newark said it is working to help Colombian nationals in New Jersey and Pennsylvania connect with family members affected by the earthquake, though officials said they are still awaiting more information in many cases.