
Powerful 6.3 magnitude quake shakes Bogota
Scores of people gathered in parks and outside buildings in their pyjamas. (AFP pic)
BOGOTA : A powerful, shallow 6.3-magnitude earthquake shook the Colombian capital of Bogota early today, according to AFP reporters on the ground and the US Geological Survey (USGS).
The shallow quake struck near the city of Paratebueno in central Colombia, some 170km east of Bogota, the USGS said.
No casualties were immediately reported in the tremor, also felt in cities including Medellin, Cali and Manizales.
In Bogota, buildings shook, sirens blared and people rushed out into the streets, while social media users posted videos of swinging lights and furniture, though the images could not be immediately verified by AFP.
Scores of people gathered in parks and outside buildings in their pyjamas, with parents trying to calm frightened children and others looking for pets that had run away.
Many were afraid to go back inside.
'It was a big scare,' said 54-year-old Carlos Alberto Ruiz, who left his apartment with his wife, son and dog.
'It's been a while since we felt it this strong here in Bogota,' said Francisco Gonzalez, a lawyer who also fled his home.
'This was very strong,' said one elderly lady trying to make her way down several flights of steps.
Bogota's security department said on X that emergency workers were conducting a sweep of the city to look for damage and provide assistance.
Bogota's mayor Carlos Fernando Galan said all disaster agencies had been activated.
Central Colombia is in a zone of high seismic activity.
A 6.2 magnitude quake there in 1999, not far from Ansermanuevo, claimed nearly 1,200 lives.
The country is on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire', an arc of intense seismic activity where tectonic plates collide that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin to South America.
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Malay Mail
5 hours ago
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Colombia's capital rattled by strong 6.3 earthquake, minor damage near epicentre
BOGOTÁ, June 9 — Buildings swayed, sirens blared and panicked Bogotá residents raced into the streets yesterday morning, after a shallow 6.3 magnitude earthquake rattled the Colombian capital. The quake struck at 8.08am and was widely felt across central Colombia. Authorities reported minor damage in some villages near the epicentre, about 170 kilometres (105 miles) east of the capital. Local firefighters were investigating reports of a main road being damaged, and cracks and fissures in several buildings including a church. There were no reports of damage or injuries in Bogotá, a city nestled in the high Andes that is home to eight million people. But the lengthy jolt prompted sirens to go off around the city and there was widespread alarm. Tall buildings visibly moved from side to side, creaking and groaning for several seconds, while furniture shook. Thousands of Bogotanos raced downstairs and out of buildings still wearing their pyjamas and sought refuge in parks and other open spaces. Parents tried to calm terrified children, couples hugged and others looked for pets that had run away. Many were afraid to go back inside as several aftershocks were detected. 'It was a big scare,' said 54-year-old Carlos Alberto Ruiz, who left his apartment with his wife, son and dog. 'It's been a while since we felt it this strong here in Bogotá,' said Francisco Gonzalez, a lawyer who also fled his home. The United States Geological Survey said the quake struck at a depth of nine kilometres near the central city of Paratebueno. The impact was felt as far away as Medellín and Cali — close to the Pacific coast. Bogotá's security department said on X that emergency workers were conducting a sweep of the city to look for damage and provide assistance. Bogotá's mayor, Carlos Fernando Galan, said all disaster agencies had been activated. Central Colombia is in a zone of high seismic activity. A 6.2 magnitude quake there in 1999, not far from Ansermanuevo, claimed nearly 1,200 lives. The country is on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire', an arc of intense seismic activity where tectonic plates collide that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin to South America. — AFP


The Sun
7 hours ago
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Powerful 6.3 magnitude quake shakes Bogota, minor damage reported
BOGOTÁ: Buildings swayed, sirens blared and panicked Bogota residents raced into the streets Sunday morning, after a shallow 6.3 magnitude earthquake rattled the Colombian capital. The quake struck at 8:08 am and was widely felt across central Colombia. Authorities reported minor damage in some villages near the epicenter, about 170 kilometers (105 miles) east of the capital. Local firefighters were investigating reports of a main road being damaged, and cracks and fissures in several buildings including a church. There were no reports of damage or injuries in Bogota, a city nestled in the high Andes that is home to eight million people. But the lengthy jolt prompted sirens to go off around the city and there was widespread alarm. Tall buildings visibly moved from side to side, creaking and groaning for several seconds, while furniture shook. Thousands of Bogotanos raced downstairs and out of buildings still wearing their pajamas and sought refuge in parks and other open spaces. Parents tried to calm terrified children, couples hugged and others looked for pets that had run away. Many were afraid to go back inside as several aftershocks were detected. 'It was a big scare,' said 54-year-old Carlos Alberto Ruiz, who left his apartment with his wife, son and dog. 'It's been a while since we felt it this strong here in Bogota,' said Francisco Gonzalez, a lawyer who also fled his home. The United States Geological Survey said the quake struck at a depth of nine kilometres near the central city of Paratebueno. The impact was felt as far away as Medellin and Cali -- close to the Pacific coast. Bogota's security department said on X that emergency workers were conducting a sweep of the city to look for damage and provide assistance. Bogota's mayor, Carlos Fernando Galan, said all disaster agencies had been activated. Central Colombia is in a zone of high seismic activity. A 6.2 magnitude quake there in 1999, not far from Ansermanuevo, claimed nearly 1,200 lives. The country is on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire', an arc of intense seismic activity where tectonic plates collide that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin to South America.


The Sun
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BOGOTÁ: Buildings swayed, sirens blared and panicked Bogota residents raced into the streets Sunday morning, after a shallow 6.3 magnitude earthquake rattled the Colombian capital. The quake struck at 8:08 am and was widely felt across central Colombia. Authorities reported minor damage in some villages near the epicenter, about 170 kilometers (105 miles) east of the capital. Local firefighters were investigating reports of a main road being damaged, and cracks and fissures in several buildings including a church. There were no reports of damage or injuries in Bogota, a city nestled in the high Andes that is home to eight million people. But the lengthy jolt prompted sirens to go off around the city and there was widespread alarm. Tall buildings visibly moved from side to side, creaking and groaning for several seconds, while furniture shook. Thousands of Bogotanos raced downstairs and out of buildings still wearing their pajamas and sought refuge in parks and other open spaces. Parents tried to calm terrified children, couples hugged and others looked for pets that had run away. Many were afraid to go back inside as several aftershocks were detected. 'It was a big scare,' said 54-year-old Carlos Alberto Ruiz, who left his apartment with his wife, son and dog. 'It's been a while since we felt it this strong here in Bogota,' said Francisco Gonzalez, a lawyer who also fled his home. The United States Geological Survey said the quake struck at a depth of nine kilometres near the central city of Paratebueno. The impact was felt as far away as Medellin and Cali -- close to the Pacific coast. Bogota's security department said on X that emergency workers were conducting a sweep of the city to look for damage and provide assistance. Bogota's mayor, Carlos Fernando Galan, said all disaster agencies had been activated. Central Colombia is in a zone of high seismic activity. A 6.2 magnitude quake there in 1999, not far from Ansermanuevo, claimed nearly 1,200 lives. The country is on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire', an arc of intense seismic activity where tectonic plates collide that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin to South America.