Dozens dead and buildings collapsed after 7.4-magnitude earthquake shakes western Colombia

Early this morning, a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Western Colombia near the city of San Jose Del Palmar in the Chocó region, approximately 173 miles west of Colombia's capital, Bogota. The earthquake occurred at an intermediate depth of about 68 miles and was caused by a strike-slip faulting of the Nazca plate beneath the South American plate. Following the initial quake, at least two aftershocks were recorded, with magnitudes of 4.8 and 3.8 respectively.

The Colombian Geological Survey reported that the earthquake triggered alerts in neighboring Venezuela, Ecuador, and Panama, and it is currently the strongest earthquake recorded in Colombia in the last ten years. The Colombian Maritime Authority stated that there is no immediate threat of a tsunami. As of 12:24 p.m. ET, the death toll has reached at least 47, with fatalities reported in Pereira, Manizales, and Buenaventura.

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) issued an orange alert, signaling potential widespread damage and casualties.

The department of Chocó, led by Governor Nubia Carolina Córdoba-Curi, reported buildings collapsing in its capital city of Quibdó, as well as in Cali, Manizales, and Pereira, including the passenger terminal of Pereira's airport. According to the USGS, the region is not typically prone to earthquakes exceeding magnitude 7, with only two such occurrences occurring within 250 kilometers of the epicenter since 1950.

This earthquake is part of the broader Pacific Ring of Fire, a tectonic belt surrounding the Pacific Ocean where the majority of the world's earthquakes occur.