A powerful 7.4-magnitude seismic event jolted western Colombia in the early hours of Monday, leaving a trail of damaged buildings and crippled infrastructure across large swathes of the nation, according to updates from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Colombia’s national geological agency.
The tremor struck at 7:34 a.m. local time, with its epicenter located close to the town of San José del Palmar in Chocó, a rural department along Colombia’s Pacific coast. There is a slight discrepancy in depth measurements between the two monitoring bodies: the USGS recorded the quake at a depth of 107 kilometers, while Colombia’s Geological Service put the depth at 96 kilometers. Colombian geological officials also adjusted their initial magnitude reading, upgrading it from an estimated 6.6 to the final 7.4 after further data analysis.
Local authorities have confirmed structural damage across multiple urban centers spread across the country. In Quibdó, the capital city of Chocó department, regional governor Nubia Carolina Córdoba Curi confirmed that multiple people have sustained injuries, and dozens of local buildings suffered severe structural damage. The city’s main air hub, El Caraño Airport, also sustained impacts that disrupted operations. Governor Córdoba Curi also urged local residents to remain alert, noting that aftershocks remain a distinct possibility in the coming days.
Further inland in the city of Manizales, one of the iconic stone towers of the city’s central cathedral suffered catastrophic structural damage, leaving the structure leaning precariously over the main church building. At Matecaña International Airport, which serves the city of Pereira, a section of the roof covering the public transit area collapsed onto the ground below. As of the latest updates, authorities have not reported any casualties at that location.
The strong tremor was also felt sharply in Bogotá, Colombia’s capital and largest city located hundreds of kilometers from the epicenter. Emergency alarms triggered across the capital, and thousands of residents evacuated office and residential buildings as a safety precaution. Bogotá Mayor Carlos Galán confirmed that no major structural damage had been reported across the city, though a number of buildings developed minor cracks following the quake. Emergency response teams have already launched systematic inspections of high-rise buildings and critical infrastructure across the capital to rule out hidden safety risks.
Residents in a dozen other major Colombian cities, including Medellín, Bucaramanga, Cúcuta, Villavicencio, Valledupar and Envigado, also reported feeling noticeable shaking when the earthquake hit.