What to Know About the Earthquake in Colombia

A 7.4-magnitude earthquake rattled western Colombia on Monday, causing widespread destruction and leaving at least 111 people dead.Colombian President Abelardo De La Espriella, who was sworn into office just days before the disaster struck the nation, said in a post on X on Monday morning that he had “directly assumed leadership of the emergency response.” In another post that morning, he said that he was traveling to the nation’s capital, Bogotá, “to focus on addressing the emergency facing our country.”“To the Colombians who are going through difficult times today, I want to say: you are not alone,” he said. “You have a President who cares deeply for his people and who will do everything necessary to protect you, support you, and move forward together in rebuilding the affected regions.”The Colombian President declared an emergency later that day, The Associated Press reported.Here’s what to know about the earthquake.When and where did the earthquake happen?The earthquake hit Colombia at 7:34 a.m. local time, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).The epicenter of the earthquake was near San José del Palmar, which is a community west of the country’s capital that has a po...