Evangelical churches across Colombia are working to determine the extent of damage after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck the country Monday, as national authorities continue assessing the broader emergency.
The Evangelical Confederation of Colombia (CEDECOL) has begun contacting affiliated congregations in affected regions to learn whether churches or local communities sustained damage.
Andrea Pinto, assistant to CEDECOL’s director, said communication problems have made it difficult to obtain a complete assessment, particularly in the Coffee Region and Chocó. CEDECOL is closely monitoring Cali, Manizales, the Coffee Region and Quibdó, with early reports indicating structural damage and evacuations in the Coffee Region.
“We know that in the Coffee Region they had to evacuate buildings and they can't return to the buildings because they are at risk, they were cracked and they are organizing camps for people to move there, while we see what happens,” Pinto said.
In Medellín, Pastor Marcelo Ferreri of the Church of the Brethren said his family and congregation were safe following the earthquake.
Ferreri said earthquakes are not unusual in Medellín, but the duration of Monday’s shaking stood out from previous experiences.
“You get used to it here; it shakes now and then, but sometimes you don't even notice it,” he said. However, he estimated that this earthquake lasted nearly two minutes. “This one lasted a really, really long time. I think it must have been very close to two minutes,” he told Diario Cristiano Internacional.
Ferreri contacted members of his congregation through WhatsApp groups and said early responses indicated that most were safe. “The report I've received indicates that most are fine,” he said.
Reports from the Coffee Region were more serious, according to Ferreri, who said the area appeared to have suffered some of the worst damage. “That area, yes, there are buildings, there are collapsed houses, most of the dead are from there,” he recounted.
In Tuluá, Valle del Cauca, Brahian Hernández, commercial manager of Software Redil, described the earthquake as unlike anything his family had previously experienced.
“In Tuluá, Valle del Cauca, we experienced something we had never experienced before,” he said. “The sound of the earth like a deep howl and the force with which the trees moved,” he recounted.
Hernández also reported seeing significant damage in other affected communities. “Severe structural damage, and people whose roofs collapsed on them,” he stated.
CEDECOL continues gathering information as communications improve, seeking to identify affected congregations and determine where assistance is most urgently needed.
