7.4 magnitude earthquake shakes Colombia, damaging buildings and airports
Picture: Reuters
A powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Colombia’s Pacific coast on Monday, injuring several people and causing damage to buildings and regional airports, officials said.
The earthquake hit at 7:34 AM local time, or 12:34 GMT, according to Colombia’s geological service. It occurred at a depth of 96 kilometers, or about 60 miles.
Nubia Carolina Córdoba, governor of Chocó province, confirmed that several people were injured but did not provide an exact figure. She also raised concerns about possible aftershocks.
The US Geological Survey said the earthquake was centered 5 kilometers east of the village of San José del Palmar. The agency estimated the quake’s depth at 110 kilometers.
Despite occurring deep underground, the earthquake was felt hundreds of kilometers away in Bogotá, Colombia’s capital. Authorities evacuated several buildings in the city after the shaking.
The powerful tremor also caused visible damage in Manizales, a city in Colombia’s coffee growing region. Footage released by Colombian newspaper El Tiempo and identified as having been recorded in Manizales showed a collapsed building. People could be heard shouting toward areas where they feared others might be trapped beneath the rubble.
Another video shared on social media showed the spire of a church in Manizales collapsing during the earthquake. A nearby building suffered deep cracks across its façade.
The shaking was also felt inside Caracol Radio’s studio in Bogotá. Journalists broadcasting live from the station said they felt furniture moving as the earthquake struck.
Colombia’s aviation authority reported damage at several regional airports. The affected facilities included airports in Pereira, Manizales, Quibdó, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura.
Monday’s earthquake struck less than two months after twin earthquakes devastated northern Venezuela, killing more than 6,100 people.
