Pereira (Colombia) (AFP) – Colombia on Monday declared a state of emergency following a powerful earthquake that caused at least 111 deaths and flattened dozens of buildings, trapping more victims underneath.

The 7.4-magnitude quake struck western Colombia at 7:34 am (1234 GMT) and triggered a frantic search for survivors in several cities.

"The national government is maintaining all its capacities deployed to protect lives, assist affected communities and deliver aid to every area that needs it," President Abelardo de la Espriella stated from Bogota.

The leader appointed just three days ago reported 111 deaths, 87 people injured and over 1,000 buildings were damaged.

The quake's epicenter was in Colombia's coastal Choco region at a depth of 100 kilometers (60 miles). Authorities in the impoverished area reported 12 deaths.

The nearby city of Pereira was one of the worst-hit areas, with local authorities earlier announcing that at least 40 people had died in the Risaralda region of which it is the provincial capital.

The quake crumpled a tower of a beloved cathedral in the city of Manizales, an AFP journalist observed.

"A great many buildings" in the city sustained damage, said administrative worker Jaime Zuluaga, 50. "Traffic is paralyzed and people don't want to go back to their homes for fear of an aftershock."

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