Strong erthquake causes significant damage and injuries in Colombia
The magnitude-7.4 quake had its epicentre near a village on the Pacific Coast.
A forceful earthquake has led to considerable destruction and injuries along Colombia's Pacific coast, according to official reports. The tremors were perceptible in the capital city, Bogotá, despite its distance of several hundred kilometers.
Nubia Carolina Córdoba, the governor of Chocó province, confirmed that individuals sustained injuries, though she did not provide an exact count. Governor Córdoba also expressed apprehension regarding potential aftershocks.
Colombia's geological service reported that the magnitude-7.4 earthquake occurred at 07:34 (12:34 GMT) and originated at a depth of 96km (60 miles).
This seismic event follows less than two months after a pair of earthquakes ravaged northern Venezuela, a neighboring country, resulting in over 6,100 fatalities.
The epicenter of Monday's earthquake was situated 5km east of the village of San José del Palmar. Its effects, however, extended hundreds of kilometers eastward to Bogotá, the capital, where multiple structures were evacuated.
The Colombian newspaper El Tiempo disseminated video footage from Manizales, a city in the nation's coffee-growing region. The footage depicted a building that had collapsed and individuals calling out to those they suspected might be trapped beneath the debris.