A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Colombia. More than 130 people killed - VIDEO

At least 132 people were killed and 570 were injured as a result of a powerful earthquake that struck the Pacific coast of Colombia.

This was reported by CNN, citing data from the Colombian Association of Regional Centers.

According to the United States Geological Survey, the magnitude of the tremors was 7.4. A state of emergency has been declared in the country. The tremors were felt in the central and southwestern parts of Colombia, as well as in Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela.

The earthquake began on Monday morning, at 07:34 local time (12:34 GMT). Its epicenter was located near the village of San José del Palmar, and the hypocenter lay at a depth of 107 km.

"The national government has sent all the resources at its disposal to protect people, support the affected areas, and distribute aid wherever it is needed," said President De la Espriella, who has just taken over the leadership of the country following the recent elections. "The priority is rescuing people trapped under the rubble."

Alejandro Eder, the mayor of Cali, the third most populous city in Colombia, initially reported 18 dead. According to him, at least 20 buildings collapsed in the city. Later, the death toll began to rise.

The head of the Chocó department, Nubia Carolina Córdoba, reported casualties but did not specify their number. According to her, in the department's administrative center — the city of Quibdó — many buildings were seriously damaged, and there are injured people.

The governor of the neighboring province of Risaralda, Juan Diego Patiño, told the local radio station Blu Radio about "serious damage to some buildings" in Pereira, the capital of the department.

"What has just happened is very serious. The footage is truly shocking: people are injured, the facades of buildings have collapsed," he said.

The tremors were also felt in the country's capital, Bogotá, which is located 400 kilometers from the earthquake's epicenter. In the capital, traffic lights and trees swayed during the tremors, and people ran out of their homes. Several buildings in the city were evacuated. Later, the city's mayor, Carlos Galán, reported on social media that there was no serious damage in the capital.

The operation of several Colombian airports was disrupted. In particular, damage was reported at several regional airports, including in the cities of Pereira, Manizales, Quibdó, and others.

Seismologists warn of the danger of aftershocks.