In brief
During a 7.4‑magnitude quake on Monday, a Colombian family was captured on video as they fled their house just before a powerful after‑shock rocked the building. The mother‑of‑four, Liliana Pérez Ocampo, described how the initial tremor seemed mild, but the shaking intensified over 30 seconds, prompting everyone to evacuate. The two children, who were at school, returned safely, and the family is unharmed. This tremor ranks as the strongest earthquake to strike Colombia in the 21st century, with at least 169 deaths reported.
Watch: Family escapes home during Colombia earthquake
In Monday’s 7.4‑magnitude earthquake, a Colombian family was caught on video fleeing their home moments before a powerful after‑shock shook the house.
"At first, we thought it was just a mild tremor like the ones that usually happen in Colombia," said mother‑of‑four Liliana Pérez Ocampo. "When more than 30 seconds passed and everything was shaking harder, we realised it was an earthquake.”
The family, including two young children who were at school, came home safely. Pérez Ocampo stressed that while material things can be replaced, life is the most important thing.
According to Colombia’s Geological Service, the tremor is the strongest Earth‑quake to hit the country in the 21st century, claiming at least 169 lives.