Article By Diario Cristiano Internacional & RT
An earthquake of magnitude 7.4 shook Colombia on Monday morning. The movement was strongly felt in several regions of the country and caused damage, evacuations and casualties.
The Colombian Geological Service located the epicenter near San José del Palmar, in the department of Chocó. The earthquake occurred around 7:34 a.m., local time, and had a depth of about 100 kilometers. The magnitude was revised after an initial estimate, according to the Associated Press’ early report.
Among the cities where the earthquake was felt were Bogotá, Cali, Medellín, Pereira, Manizales, Armenia and Popayán. There were also reports of the movement in Ecuador, Panama and Venezuela.
In Quibdó, capital of Chocó, authorities reported injured people and damage to buildings. Gov. Nubia Carolina Córdoba reported that emergency teams began the evaluation of the situation in different municipalities of the department.
Damage was also reported in Cali, Pereira and Manizales. In the latter city, damage was reported to the Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica, while the authorities checked other structures.
In Bogota, as reported by Reuters, Mayor Carlos Fernando Galán reported that the first reports did not indicate major damage, although preventive evacuations were carried out in different buildings.
President Abelardo de la Espriella ordered the installation of a Unified Command Post to coordinate the response and announced his travel to Pereira to learn about the situation directly.
The authorities have not yet delivered a definitive national balance of victims and damages. Emergency agencies continue to evaluate homes, public buildings and roads to determine the scope of the emergency.
No tsunami warning associated with the earthquake was issued. The situation remains developing and the authorities are monitoring possible aftershocks.
killing at least 30 people, according to estimates from the local authorities. Tremors were felt in several major cities across the country, as well as neighboring Ecuador and Panama.
Colombia’s National Unit for Disaster Risk Management said the epicenter was located near the town of San Jose del Palmar in the Pacific department of Choco, at a depth of around 79 km, and measured 6.6 in magnitude. Other monitors put the magnitude higher. The US Geological Survey estimated it at 7.4 magnitude and the European-Mediterranean Seismological Center put it at 7.2.
The governor of Choco, Nubia Carolina Cordoba-Curi, confirmed that the earthquake caused significant damage in the provincial capital and beyond, warning of potential aftershocks. “There are injuries and significant damage to buildings in the capital, Quibdo. We are already carrying out a damage assessment and will issue the first official report shortly,” she wrote on X.
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