An Israeli who was on the eighth floor of a high-rise during the powerful earthquake that struck Colombia today (Monday) described the moments of panic: “Everything shook violently, people were screaming in the stairwell.” According to him, several buildings collapsed in different areas of the country and his volunteers have already gone out to help. “We’re hoping and praying there won’t be fatalities.” The powerful earthquake that hit Colombia today was felt strongly across wide areas of the country and sparked panic among residents. Rabbi Yosef German, who was on the eighth floor of a high-rise when the quake struck, described the dramatic moments and the scenes after he left the building.
1+“I arrived at 5 in the morning from the city of Cali, and a little after 7 a.m. everything suddenly started shaking,” he told C14. “I’m staying on the eighth floor in a building near the airport. Everything shook violently. It was both a strong and unusually long earthquake.” According to him, when the shaking started he rushed out of the apartment and down from the building. “I went downstairs and heard people screaming in the stairwell. Everyone gathered outside, frightened,” he said.
German, who came to Colombia for the presidential inauguration events, said that shortly after the quake he began receiving reports of damage in different areas of the country. According to him, reports came in about several buildings that collapsed, including in the Pereira, Cali and Manizales areas. “There are reports of at least five to six buildings that collapsed,” he said. “The lucky thing is that the quake happened at a time when most people had already left their homes, which may have prevented a heavier disaster.”
1+According to him, local volunteers he worked with in the past as part of ZAKA activities have already gone out to areas where destruction was reported. “My volunteers, who were with me on behalf of ZAKA in the past in Venezuela, are already at the sites where buildings collapsed to provide help and see what needs to be done,” he said. He added that at this stage the situation is still becoming clear: “Right now there’s known to be very serious property damage, and we’re hoping and praying there won’t be fatalities.” The earthquake, measuring 7.4 in magnitude, occurred in the morning hours with its epicenter in the San José del Palmar area of Chocó province. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the quake’s focus was at a depth of about 107 kilometers below the surface.