Powerful 6.3 magnitude quake shakes central Colombia, damaging buildings
Buildings swayed, sirens blared and panicked Colombians raced onto the streets Sunday after a shallow 6.3 magnitude earthquake rattled the center of the country.
The quake struck at 8:08 am about 170 kilometers (105 miles) east of the capital Bogota and was felt across much of the country.
In the town of Paratebueno, not far from the epicenter, AFP reporters saw several partially collapsed buildings, including a whitewashed church with one wall seriously damaged.
Nearby residents picked through the debris of several collapsed zinc-roofed structures.
There were no reports of serious injuries, but authorities were investigating minor damage in several other villages.
In Bogota -- a city nestled in the high Andes and home to eight million people -- the lengthy jolt prompted sirens to go off and sparked widespread alarm.
Tall buildings visibly moved from side to side, creaking and groaning for almost a minute, while furniture and fittings shook violently.
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 kilometers (5.5 miles) near 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 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.
bur/arb/bjt
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Disasters loom over South Asia with forecast of a hotter, wetter monsoon
Communities across Asia's Himalayan Hindu Kush region face heightened disaster risks this monsoon season with temperatures and rainfall expected to exceed normal levels, experts warned on Thursday. Temperatures are expected to be up to two degrees Celsius hotter than average across the region, with forecasts for above-average rains, according to a monsoon outlook released by Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) on Wednesday. "Rising temperatures and more extreme rain raise the risk of water-induced disasters such as floods, landslides, and debris flows, and have longer-term impacts on glaciers, snow reserves, and permafrost," Arun Bhakta Shrestha, a senior adviser at ICIMOD, said in a statement. The summer monsoon, which brings South Asia 70-80 percent of its annual rainfall, is vital for agriculture and therefore for the livelihoods of millions of farmers and for food security in a region that is home to around two billion people. However, it also brings destruction through landslides and floods every year. Melting glaciers add to the volume of water, while unregulated construction in flood-prone areas exacerbates the damage. "What we have seen over the years are also cascading disasters where, for example, heavy rainfall can lead to landslides, and landslides can actually block rivers. We need to be aware about such possibilities," Saswata Sanyal, manager of ICIMOD's Disaster Risk Reduction work, told AFP. Last year's monsoon season brought devastating landslides and floods across South Asia and killed hundreds of people, including more than 300 in Nepal. This year, Nepal has set up a monsoon response command post, led by its National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority. "We are coordinating to stay prepared and to share data and alerts up to the local level for early response. Our security forces are on standby for rescue efforts," said agency spokesman Ram Bahadur KC. Weather-related disasters are common during the monsoon season from June to September but experts say climate change, coupled with urbanisation, is increasing their frequency and severity. The UN's World Meteorological Organization said last year that increasingly intense floods and droughts are a "distress signal" of what is to come as climate change makes the planet's water cycle ever more unpredictable. pm/pjm/pbt
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
New forecast sinks summer lake level to historic low
Jun. 11—Flathead Lake may fall as much as three feet below full pool by August. Last week, Energy Keepers predicted that the lake would reach a maximum level of 2,892.3 feet by mid-June, but the most recent forecast drops that estimate to 2,891.9 feet. The water level is expected to continue to decline to 2,891 feet by July 4 and to 2,890 feet by August. Full pool is typically 2,983 feet between June 15 and Sept. 15. "Unseasonably warm and dry conditions continue to significantly decrease water supply in the Flathead River Basin, and spring runoff is quickly receding, bringing river flows to extremely low levels," states a June 10 press release from Energy Keepers Inc., the entity that manages the SKQ dam at the southern end of Flathead Lake. April and May saw precipitation levels at about 70% of historic norms and June is expected to be far drier. Snowpack across the state has also dwindled as late-spring temperatures soar. In the Flathead Basin, snowpack was a mere 43% of average on June 9. That is down from last week's measurements, which showed snowpack at 54% of average. Low snowpack and little rain equate to limited streamflow in the coming months. Both the Middle and North Forks of the Flathead River are currently at half of normal flow, according to the United States Geological Survey. Streamflow on the South Fork of the Flathead River is currently 53% of normal, contributing to a below-average water level in Hungry Horse Reservoir. The reservoir is currently at 3,550.4 feet, about one foot below the 10-year average for early June. Both the SKQ and the Hungry Horse dams are managed to meet varying obligations, including energy production, habitat for endangered species and flood risk management. Energy Keepers successfully requested a flood risk management deviation in mid-March from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The approval allowed Energy Keepers to keep more water in the lake during the spring. Energy Keepers stated that Flathead Lake reached the maximum permissible water level on May 26, and that the SKQ dam continues to maintain minimum flows. While the projected water level may limit the use of some private docks, public boat ramps are expected to remain fully accessible during the summer. Energy Keepers will continue to provide forecasts through June and July at Reporter Hailey Smalley may be reached at 758-4433 or hsmalley@
a day ago
Taiwan struck by 5.9 magnitude earthquake Tuesday evening, USGS says
TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Taiwan was struck by a 5.9 magnitude earthquake Tuesday evening, the United States Geological Survey reported. The earthquake was detected about 71 kilometers (44.1 miles) south of Hualien City at a depth of 31.1 kilometers (19.3 miles), the agency said. Hualien is relatively thinly populated compared to the highly congested western side of the island of 23 million people, which is frequently struck by quakes. The quake hit seconds after cell phone alarms went off at 7:01 p.m. Buildings in the capital of Taipei shook for about a minute. There were no immediate reports of major damage. Taiwan's Central Weather Administration gave the magnitude as 6.4. Such variations are common given differences in sensitivity and detector locations. Taiwan lies along the Pacific 'Ring of Fire,' a line of seismic faults encircling the Pacific Ocean from Chile to New Zealand where most of the world's earthquakes occur. Taiwan's worst modern quake, a 1999 magnitude 7.7 temblor that killed 2,415 people, damaged buildings and led to tightened building codes, better response times and coordination and widespread public education campaigns on earthquake safety. Schools and workplaces hold earthquake drills, while cellphones buzz whenever a strong earthquake is detected. Earthquake damage since then has been significantly reduced.
