Colombia was struck today by a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake that damaged buildings and left people injured.
According to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), the tremors were recorded at a depth of around 115 kilometers. Colombia’s Geological Service said the epicenter was located in Chocó province, along the Pacific coast.
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The seismic shock was strongly felt in Bogotá and Cali, while tremors were also reported in Venezuela, Ecuador and Panama. Meanwhile, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) announced that there was no tsunami warning.
Residents of the affected areas experienced moments of panic and quickly fled buildings, fearing collapses and aftershocks. Pieces of concrete and glass fell into the streets, while the first footage from the scene showed shocked citizens trying to move away from dangerous areas.
After the tremors, emergency teams and citizens went to the damaged buildings to check whether anyone was trapped or injured.
Significant damage was also reported at the Metropolitan Cathedral, where part of the dome is suspected to have collapsed as a result of the earthquake.
Chocó Governor Nubia Carolina Córdoba-Kouri said authorities were concerned about the possibility of aftershocks and that damage assessments had begun.
“We have just experienced a strong earthquake in Chocó province. We are concerned about aftershocks. Although the epicenter was near San José del Palmar, there are injured people and significant damage to buildings in Quibdó,” she said.
