Colombia quake death toll rises to 241

BOGOTA -- The death toll from Monday's 7.4-magnitude earthquake in western Colombia has risen to 241, with 3,771 others injured, Colombian media reported Wednesday, citing figures from the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management.

Separately, the Colombian Association of Capital Cities put the death toll at 190 as of Wednesday morning.

Colombia's National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences confirmed Wednesday in an official statement that it has received 202 bodies following the earthquake, of which 121 victims have been identified.

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella has declared three days of national mourning and signed a decree declaring a state of national disaster to respond to the tragedy and intensify search for the missing.

Search and rescue operations, along with damage assessments, are still underway.

According to the Colombian Geological Service, the quake struck western Colombia at 7:34 am local time Monday. Its epicenter was near San Jose del Palmar, in the department of Choco, at a depth of 96 km.