Strong earthquake strikes western Colombia, with injuries and damage reported

A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 struck western Colombia Monday, prompting people to evacuate homes and buildings. 

The epicenter was in San José del Palmar, about 250 miles west of Colombia’s capital, Bogota, the United States Geological Survey and Colombia’s counterpart reported. USGS also reported a 5.0 magnitude aftershock less than an hour later.

The governor of Chocó province, where the quake struck, said in a post on X that there are injuries and significant damage to buildings in the city of Quibdó. Gov. Nubia Carolina Córdoba-Curi said they are currently assessing the damage.

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella said in a social media post he is leading the emergency response and will travel to the quake zone. 

Witnesses reported feeling the shaking across Bogota and all the way to the coast in Barranquilla, as well as in Ecuador to the south.

No structural damage was reported in Bogota, Mayor Carlos F. Galán said. 

The earthquake in Colombia follows two back-to-back 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude quakes that struck neighboring Venezuela in late June, which caused widespread damage and killed more than 5,000 people.

The area where Monday’s quake hit, Colombia’s coffee region, was devastated by an earthquake in 1999 that killed more than 1,200 people.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.