Powerful earthquake sparks evacuations in Colombia

By Gonzalo Zegarra, CNN en Español

(CNN) — A 7.4-magnitude earthquake was recorded Monday in western Colombia, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), with tremors felt in several cities across the country.

The epicenter was located in San José del Palmar, in the department of Chocó, about 280 kilometers west of Bogotá, at a depth of 107 kilometers at 7:34 a.m. (local time, 8:34 a.m. Miami time), the USGS reported.

The governor of Colombia’s northwestern area of Chocó, Nubia Carolina Córdoba Curi, confirmed that in the regional capital, Quibdó, “there are injured people and severe damage to buildings” and expressed concern about possible aftershocks.

In the nation’s capital, the tremor was felt strongly, alarms sounded, and in many buildings people evacuated to the streets as a precaution. “At this time there are no reports of injuries or structural damage, only some cracks in buildings,” Bogotá Mayor Carlos Galán said on X.

Reuters footage emerged from numerous neighborhoods in Colombia showing reams of dust swirling through the streets, as residents ran for cover and crumbling facades cascaded onto the sidewalk.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

The-CNN-Wire
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