Colombia earthquake: At least 71 dead, people trapped in collapsed buildings, officials say

Dozens of people are dead after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake rocked western Colombia on Monday, officials said.

The country's new president, Abelardo de la Espriella, has declared a national disaster.

The earthquake's epicenter was 5 kilometers east of San José del Palmar, Colombia, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

At least 71 people are dead, according to Colombian officials. At least 40 people have been killed in Risaralda, whose capital, Pereira, is among the hardest-hit cities, officials said.

Dozens of people, including three children, also died in the Valle del Cauca department, whose capital, Cali, is among the most impacted cities, officials said.

In Cali, at least 20 buildings collapsed and people were trapped, according to the mayor. A rescue effort was ongoing in a building where at least 15 people were trapped, according to officials.

The governor of Chuco said there were injuries and "severe damage" to buildings in the department's capital city of Quibdo.

Seven airports have suspended their services, in the cities of Armenia, Cali, Manizales, Pereira, Quibdo, Buenaventura and Cartago.

There have not been any reports of collapsed buildings in the capital of Bogota, officials said.

The Colombian president said in a video on social media that he was headed to Bogota to "focus on addressing the emergency facing our country" and has convened a unified command post to respond to the affected areas, including what's known as the Coffee-Growers' Axis.

The Trump administration is "closely monitoring" the earthquake and stands "ready" to support the people of Colombia, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement.