At least 169 killed in Colombia's largest earthquake in years

illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day, reviewed by our editorial team. Read the full piece on BBC News or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: A magnitude 7.4 earthquake has killed at least 169 people and injured around 900 across Colombia, with the death toll expected to rise as rescue teams search collapsed buildings
• The earthquake struck at 07:34 local time at a depth of around 103 kilometres in Chocó province
• The strongest impacts were reported hundreds of kilometres away, particularly in Cali and Pereira

🔭 The context: Cali has recorded at least 85 deaths, while Pereira has reported 66. Buildings have collapsed across several cities, while airports, roads and other infrastructure have also sustained damage
• The earthquake was felt across Colombia and in parts of Venezuela, Ecuador and Panama
• Bogotá experienced significant shaking and some reports of building cracks, although no major infrastructure damage has been confirmed there
• Colombia's new president, Abelardo de la Espriella, has declared a national disaster, giving the government additional powers to redirect budgets and coordinate the emergency response.

🌍 Why it matters for the plant: The disaster highlights the importance of climate-resilient and disaster-resilient infrastructure as extreme natural hazards increasingly create major human and economic costs
• Although earthquakes are not caused by climate change, the scale of their consequences depends heavily on infrastructure quality, urban planning, emergency preparedness and the resilience of critical systems
• Strong seismic building standards in cities such as Manizales appear to have helped limit some structural impacts

⏭️ What’s next: Rescue operations remain the immediate priority, with authorities expecting the death toll and damage assessment to evolve as affected areas become accessible
• The government may need to assess damaged housing, transport infrastructure, airports and public facilities and determine longer-term reconstruction needs

💬 One quote: “I've never experienced anything like it.” Dan Cutler, earthquake survivor in Cali

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