Earthquake on Colombia's Pacific Coast causes injuries, damage

An earthquake with a magnitude higher than initially reported struck Colombia's Pacific Coast on Monday, causing injuries and significant damage in the province of Choco and the city of Pereira. The tremor was also felt in Bogota and as far away as Venezuela. Choco Governor Nubia Carolina Cordoba-Curi expressed concern about potential aftershocks and confirmed that there were injuries and substantial damage to buildings in Bogota.

The governor of Risaralda province, Juan Diego Patino, reported serious damage to buildings in Pereira. The U.S. tsunami warning system did not issue a tsunami warning. Colombia's geological service raised the quake's magnitude to 7.4 and revised its depth to 96 km. The National Unit for Disaster Risk Management is coordinating with local authorities to assess the full extent of the damage.

Bogota's mayor, Carlos Galan, reported no major damage in the capital. Witnesses in Venezuela's border state of Tachira and central-western city of Barquisimeto also reported feeling the quake. Venezuela experienced devastating earthquakes in June which resulted in over 6,000 fatalities, primarily near the capital, Caracas.