A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3 jolted central Colombia early Sunday, according to local authorities. Thankfully, there were no immediate reports of casualties.
The quake’s epicenter was located 17 kilometers (approximately 10.5 miles) northeast of Paratebueno, a city situated around 116 miles southeast of Colombia’s capital, Bogota. The U.S. Geological Service announced that the earthquake struck at 8:08 a.m. local time (1308 GMT) and occurred at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles).
Following the main shock, the Colombian Geological Service recorded several aftershocks in the vicinity. These additional tremors had magnitudes ranging from 4 to 4.6 and took place just minutes after the initial quake.
The National Unit for Disaster Risk Management indicated on X that they were in the process of evaluating the situation across various municipalities impacted by the seismic event.
On social media, images surfaced showing the response of Bogota’s residents, many of whom evacuated their workplaces to ensure their safety. Video clips from rural regions, however, suggested that the quake did not cause any significant damage.
Colombia is situated along the Pacific Ring of Fire, a zone notorious for its intense seismic and volcanic activity. This geographical location makes the country susceptible to frequent earthquakes.