Watch: Family escapes home during Colombia earthquake

What the report says

BBC World News reported that a family in Colombia captured video of the moment they fled their home as a powerful earthquake struck on Monday. The family was identified as Liliana Pérez Ocampo and her relatives, who escaped before their house was hit by the quake. Pérez Ocampo said they initially assumed it was a brief tremor, but the shaking continued and intensified, prompting them to run outside. She told the BBC World Service that her family, including two young children who were at school, was safe.

The article said the quake measured 7.4 in magnitude and that at least 132 people had died. Colombia’s authorities declared a state of emergency after the disaster, which the BBC described as one of the country’s largest earthquakes in years. The Geological Service in Colombia said it was the strongest earthquake to hit the country in the 21st century.

The report highlights the human impact of the disaster as well as the scale of the damage. Pérez Ocampo said belongings could be replaced, but lives could not, underscoring the fear and uncertainty faced by families during the tremor. More broadly, major earthquakes in Colombia can affect densely populated areas and strain emergency response efforts, although BBC World News did not provide additional details on the wider rescue or recovery operation in this item.