Powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake shakes central Colombia
A powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck central Colombia early Sunday, sending residents, the U.S. Geological Survey said. No casualties were immediately reported.
The shallow quake struck at 8:08 a.m. at a depth of 6.2 miles about 10.5 miles from the city of Paratebueno, which is about 116 miles southeast of the capital of Bogota. Residents said they felt the tremor in cities including Medellin, Cali and Manizales.
People remain on the street after an earthquake in Bogota on June 8, 2025.
RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP via Getty Images
The Colombian Geological Service reported additional tremors with magnitudes ranging from 4 to 4.6 that occurred in the same area minutes later.
The National Unit for Disaster Risk Management said on X that it was assessing the situation in several municipalities.
Images posted on social media showed people in Bogota who felt the tremor — some left their workplaces to seek safety. Footage from rural areas indicated there was no damage.
"It was a big scare," 54-year-old Carlos Alberto Ruiz, who left his Bogota apartment with his wife, son and dog, told AFP.
People remain on the street after an earthquake in Bogota on June 8, 2025.
RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP via Getty Images
"It's been a while since we felt it this strong here in Bogota," said Francisco Gonzalez, a lawyer who also fled his home.
Colombia lies in the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region known for frequent seismic and volcanic activity.
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2 days ago
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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
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2 days ago
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6.5-magnitude earthquake recorded in Colombia
June 8 (UPI) -- A 6.5-magnitude earthquake was recorded in Colombia on Sunday about 56 miles east of Bogota, according to the Servicio Geológico Colombiano. The SGC's database for tracking such incidents recorded the earthquake around 8:08 a.m. local time near the city of Paratebueno and described it as having a shallow depth. The agency said that it had received some 5,000 reports of people who felt the earthquake. Data shows that at least two aftershocks have had magnitudes greater than 4. Carlos Carrillo, the director of Colombia's national disaster risk agency, said during a news conference Sunday that damage was recorded to a national highway in the area. "In the inspection area of Santa Cecilia and the village of La Europa, as well as in Medina, the main church has been affected, including collapsed walls," he said. "So far, two people have been reported injured in that municipality. Damage has occurred to walls and facades of churches and homes, and there may also be damage to bridges." He later clarified that four people total have so far been reported injured, two in Paratebueno and two in Medina. They are all said to have minor injuries. Carrillo said authorities were seeking to verify the impacts of the earthquake on a health center in the town of Fómeque and on a Catholic church in the town of Une in the Andes. Damage to homes were also reported in the towns of Tocaima and Caldas. The U.S. Geological Survey also recorded the earthquake, describing it as a 6.3-magnitude tremor.
CBS News
3 days ago
- CBS News
Powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake shakes central Colombia
A powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck central Colombia early Sunday, sending residents, the U.S. Geological Survey said. No casualties were immediately reported. The shallow quake struck at 8:08 a.m. at a depth of 6.2 miles about 10.5 miles from the city of Paratebueno, which is about 116 miles southeast of the capital of Bogota. Residents said they felt the tremor in cities including Medellin, Cali and Manizales. People remain on the street after an earthquake in Bogota on June 8, 2025. RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP via Getty Images The Colombian Geological Service reported additional tremors with magnitudes ranging from 4 to 4.6 that occurred in the same area minutes later. The National Unit for Disaster Risk Management said on X that it was assessing the situation in several municipalities. Images posted on social media showed people in Bogota who felt the tremor — some left their workplaces to seek safety. Footage from rural areas indicated there was no damage. "It was a big scare," 54-year-old Carlos Alberto Ruiz, who left his Bogota apartment with his wife, son and dog, told AFP. People remain on the street after an earthquake in Bogota on June 8, 2025. RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP via Getty Images "It's been a while since we felt it this strong here in Bogota," said Francisco Gonzalez, a lawyer who also fled his home. Colombia lies in the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region known for frequent seismic and volcanic activity.
