Visualizing the Colombia earthquake in maps and charts

By Jhasua Razo, Amy O’Kruk, Annette Choi, CNN

(CNN) — A powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday killing scores and severely damaging thousands of buildings across the country. The quake was the strongest originating in the country since at least 1990, according to the US Geological Survey.

The epicenter was in San José del Palmar, in the northwestern department of Chocó, about 240 kilometers (149 miles) west of Bogotá, and tremors were felt in the capital city. Tremors were also evident in nearby Venezuela, which is still grappling with the impacts of a destructive set of quakes earlier this summer.

CNN is tracking developments, in maps and charts.

Most earthquakes occur near tectonic plate boundaries, though they do occasionally happen on the interior of continents, according to the US Geological Survey. Here are the boundaries around Colombia:

Historical data shows that the number of significant quakes — generally those of 6.0 or higher magnitude — have ebbed and flowed over the last few decades.

Quakes such as Monday’s in Colombia are measured on a magnitude scale. This one, with its 7.4 reading, would be considered “major” with damage expected.

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