Scenes of destruction after the earthquake in Colombia (Photo: Reuters).
Vietnam's Party General Secretary and State President To Lam sent condolences to Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella, the Colombian government and people after the earthquake caused severe loss of life and property.
Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung also sent condolences to Colombian Foreign Minister Omar Bula Escobar.
The Foreign Ministry said, citing information from the Vietnamese Embassy in Venezuela, which is also accredited to Colombia, that a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck on the morning of August 10 local time, with its epicentre in Choco Province, about 313km west of the capital Bogota.
The earthquake caused extensive damage in Bogota and central and western cities including Medellin, Cali, Pereira and Manizales.
On the morning of August 10, the Vietnamese Embassy in Venezuela contacted the Vietnamese community in Colombia to assess the situation. As of the afternoon of August 10 local time, all members of the Vietnamese community in the country were reported safe.
The embassy immediately put in place necessary measures to protect Vietnamese citizens and ensure their security and safety in accordance with regulations.
Vietnamese citizens requiring urgent assistance have been advised to contact the Foreign Ministry's citizen protection hotline on +84 981 848 484 or the Vietnamese Embassy's citizen protection hotline in Venezuela, which is also responsible for Colombia, on +58 424 267 4447.
Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella said the earthquake had killed 132 people and injured 570 others, while more than 1,000 buildings had been damaged.
The Colombian government declared a state of emergency as rescue teams raced against time to search for people still trapped beneath the rubble.
