Deadly earthquake hits Colombia, causing buildings to collapse

A powerful earthquake has killed more than a dozen people in Colombia with more feared trapped under collapsed buildings.

The magnitude 7.4 quake struck at 07:34 (12:34 GMT) at a depth of 103km (64 miles) in Chocó province, the country's geological service said.

The mayor of the city of Pereira, in Colombia's coffee-growing region, said at least 18 people had died in the quake.

The quake comes less than two months after twin quakes devastated the north of neighbouring Venezuela, killing more than 6,100 people.

The epicentre of Monday's quake was near the village of San José del Palmar, in Chocó province, on the country's Pacific coast.

Chocó's Governor, Nubia Carolina Córdoba, said people had been injured but did not specify how many. She also said she was concerned about possible aftershocks.

It could be felt hundreds of kilometres to the east in the capital, Bogotá, where several buildings were evacuated.

The mayor of Cali said about 25 buildings had collapsed in Colombia's third most populous city.

The country's aviation authority has reported damage at several regional airports, including those in Pereira, Manizales, Quibdó, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura.

In the capital, Bogotá, trees and traffic lights shook violently.

People streamed out of their homes and offices. They reported feeling the ground move beneath them for almost two minutes.

The capital's Mayor, Carlos Fernando Galán, said that he had received reports of cracks in buildings but so far none of any serious damage to the city's infrastructure.

Journalists broadcasting live on news channel Caracol Radio also described the furniture shaking in their studio in Bogotá.

Colombian newspaper El Tiempo shared footage it said was taken in the city of Manizales, in the country's coffee region, showing a collapsed building and people shouting to those they fear could be trapped underneath.

Video posted on social media showed the collapsed spire of a church in Manizales.

A nearby building had deep fissures in its façade.