5.6 Earthquake Rattles
Colombia, 11 Dead
Hundreds of Colombians
gathered in makeshift
shelters on Sunday
afraid to go home a day
after a 5.6-magnitude
earthquake damaged
scores of homes and
triggered landslides
killing at least 11
people.
In the rural town of
Quetame, the most
seriously hit, families
spent the night
sheltered on the town's
football field or in a
public building after
the quake knocked out
water supplies and
damaged or collapsed
houses and its church.
"People are still really
terrified about a second
or third one coming,"
Benedicto Enciso said as
he sheltered with his
companion and two
children after their
home was damaged. "We're
trying to put up a tent
for 20 people."
Colombia's Red Cross
said at least 11 people
died and 54 were
injured, with about
5,000 affected by
damaged houses and
buildings,
President Alvaro Uribe
visited the affected
area, where landslides
blocked a major highway
from Bogota to
Villavicencio near the
epicenter, which was 33
miles southeast of the
capital, the U.S.
Geological Survey said.
Colombia's
disaster-prevention
office said on Sunday in
Quetame alone around
3,300 people were
affected and either
moved to safer housing
or shelters while
authorities checked
homes for damage. Other
towns suffered less
damage.
Panicked residents in
Bogota fled into the
streets when the quake
rattled buildings, and
one Bogota government
office was evacuated
after a shower of bricks
tumbled off one wall.
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