The powerful earthquake that killed hundreds of people in western Colombia caused $9.57 billion in economic losses, President Abelardo de la Espriella said on Tuesday, issuing a preliminary estimate.

The 7.4-magnitude tremor, which struck on August 10, was the most powerful in Colombia in nearly half a century.

The death toll stands at 289, with a further 4,187 injured and 143 missing.

Nearly 27,000 homes were destroyed, leaving many people sleeping in the streets or in public parks.

Dozens of hospitals and schools also collapsed or were damaged.

"Imagine the scale of the disaster," said De la Espriella, a political novice who took office just three days before the disaster.

The crisis has been a baptism by fire for De la Espriella, a right-wing lawyer and business magnate who was elected on a promise to flush out the drug-trafficking rebels that control parts of Colombia.

He said Tuesday he had tasked his housing minister with launching a "miracle" reconstruction plan, with the backing of the private sector.

In a call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, De la Espriella reiterated his request for the United States to temporarily suspend tariffs on Colombian goods, to give the economy some reprieve.

Tariffs on Colombian imports rose from 10 percent to 12.5 percent in late July, aside from some signature exports such as oil and coffee.

© Agence France-Presse