A powerful earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday at 7:34 am local time. The tremor's epicenter was located at San José del Palmar in the western department of Chocó, approximately 250 miles west of the capital, Bogota. There are conflicting reports regarding the magnitude, with Colombia’s geological service measuring the quake at 6.6 while the US Geological Survey recorded it at 7.4.
The earthquake caused significant casualties and structural damage, with at least 18 people killed in the town of Pereira. Authorities stated that buildings were downed and people were left trapped in the rubble. More than a dozen buildings collapsed in the cities of Pereira, Cali, and Quibdo, and the governor of the department including San Jose Del Palmar reported further injuries and serious building damage. In Manizales, one of the towers of the neo-Gothic cathedral collapsed and fell on the nave.
The impact of the quake extended beyond western Colombia, with tremors felt as far away as Panama, Venezuela, and Ecuador. In Bogota, the earthquake prompted residents to evacuate their homes and buildings.