Magnitude 7.4 Earthquake Strikes Colombia
A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck a large portion of Colombia on Monday morning, triggering structural damage across several cities while local authorities raced to assess potential casualties.
According to the Servicio Geológico Colombiano (SGC), the seismic event struck at 07:34 local time (12:34 GMT). The SGC initially registered the magnitude at 6.7 before issuing a revised bulletin confirming a magnitude of 7.4. The earthquake’s epicenter was located in the municipality of San José del Palmar, situated within the Pacific coastal department of Chocó, at a focal depth of 82 kilometers.
The tremor sent strong shockwaves across the central and western regions of the country. Residents in Bogotá, Cali, Popayán, Manizales, Armenia, Pereira, and Medellín felt the ground shake, with several urban centers sustaining notable material damage.
Facade Collapses and Cathedral Damage in Cali and Manizales
Footage shared widely across social media platforms captured fractured infrastructure and debris-strewn streets. In Cali and Manizales, numerous buildings suffered exterior damage as portions of their facades sheared off during the shaking. In Manizales, the impact extended to architecture, damaging one of the towers of the local cathedral.
Cali Mayor Alejandro Eder addressed the situation in an interview with the radio station Blu Radio, stating, “There are many cracked buildings,” while noting that there was no information on casualties at that moment.
Pereira Airport Hit as Infrastructure Suffers
In Pereira, the capital of Risaralda department, infrastructure took a severe hit. Numerous properties sustained heavy structural damage, forcing partial collapses of some edifices. Officials confirmed that the local airport was among the structures impacted by the tremor.
Emergency Monitoring Underway in Bogotá
In Bogotá, the seismic activity prompted immediate emergency monitoring. Mayor Carlos Fernando Galán reported that initial evaluations showed no major structural failures or widespread devastation in the capital city.
“There is no report of affects or structural damage, only some cracks in buildings,” Galán stated.
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