Large Earthquake Hits Western Colombia Causing Damage
A powerful earthquake, initially measured at magnitude 7.4, has struck Colombia. Tremors were also felt in neighboring Ecuador, as well as Venezuela.
A powerful earthquake struck western Colombia early Monday, with tremors felt as far away as Bogota in the capital and Quito, Ecuador. The epicenter was located on the eastern tip of the Choco province, on Colombia's Pacific coast. Governor Nubia Carolina Cordoba-Curi expressed concern about potential aftershocks. While the US Geological Survey initially measured the quake at magnitude 7.4, Colombia's national authority reported a slightly lower figure.
The earthquake's epicenter was situated near the Tatama National Nature Reserve, close to the department's eastern border. This location put it roughly equidistant from Colombia's major cities, including Bogota, Medellin, and Cali. The nearest significant population center, Cartago, with around 140,000 residents, is approximately 30 kilometers from the quake's epicenter.
The USGS also noted that the quake occurred at a considerable depth of around 107 kilometers beneath the Earth's surface. The tremors were predicted to impact most of western Colombia, potentially affecting neighboring Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela.
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