Rescuers scramble for survivors with 180 dead in Colombia earthquake

Hours after the earthquake hit Pereira, a resident of the Parque Industrial neighborhood, near the city’s airport, told BBC Mundo about the shock being experienced in the area.

“It’s impossible to get around the city center. In Bolívar Square (the city’s main square), at least one building collapsed. Furthermore, there are structures where buses and trucks are trapped, and people are afraid those structures will collapse as well,” he said.

“We’re all in shock. It was really awful.”

Jorge Eduardo Rojas, mayor of Manizales, said five people had been killed in the city.

Sixty buildings in Manizales had partially or totally collapsed.

Cautioning about further aftershocks, Rojas urged the public not to share chain messages or social media posts from unknown sources, as they “may contain false or unverified information… which could cause greater concern and alarm among the public”.

On Tuesday, help and support continued to be offered to Colombia from the international community.

A statement from a spokesperson for UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, stated that he “expresses his solidarity with the people and government of Colombia” and that it working to support the government’s response.

Spain’s Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, reported that 164 Spaniards were still missing.

At the moment, he added, there are no reports of injuries or deaths of its citizens.

The Donald Trump administration, which backed President Abelardo de la Espriella in his successful election earlier this year, announced this afternoon a donation of $15.5m (£11.5m) to Colombia.

Offers of help have also come from Ecuador, Brazil, El Salvador, and Venezuela.