Colombia hit by powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake

A powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.4 has struck Colombia's Pacific coast, causing widespread damage and casualties. The 7.4-magnitude quake, which struck early Monday (December 10), shook parts of the country from the capital Bogota to neighboring Venezuela.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake's epicenter was near the town of San José del Palmar in Choco province and was at a depth of 96 to 107 kilometers.

Choco province Governor Nuvia Carolina Córdoba-Curie said on social media that several buildings were damaged and people were injured in Quibdo, the provincial capital. They are working to assess the damage and are warning of aftershocks.

In addition, the governor of Risaralda province, Juan Diego Patino, said that buildings in the provincial capital, Pereira, had suffered severe damage and that many building facades had collapsed.

No tsunami warning was issued by the US Tsunami Warning Center. The mayor of the capital, Bogota, Carlos Galán, said that no major damage had been reported in the city of Bogota. However, the tremor was also felt in the state of Tachira and the city of Barquisimeto, which borders Venezuela.

It should be noted that thousands of people were killed in a devastating earthquake that struck Venezuela last June. Colombia's National Disaster Management Unit is monitoring the situation in contact with local authorities.

Source: Reuters.