A powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia early Monday, damaging buildings, injuring people and sending residents into the streets across a wide area of the country.

The quake hit at 7:34 a.m. local time near San José del Palmar in the Pacific department of Chocó, about 175 miles west of Bogotá. The U.S. Geological Survey measured the earthquake at a depth of roughly 66 miles.

That depth helped limit the destruction. Deep earthquakes can be felt across very large areas but often cause less severe surface damage than shallow quakes of the same magnitude.

The shaking was felt in Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, Pereira, Manizales, Armenia, Popayán and Cartago, as well as in parts of Ecuador and Panama.

The heaviest early damage was reported in Chocó. Officials said people were injured by falling bricks and pieces of building facades, while several structures suffered significant damage.

In Manizales, debris reportedly fell from the city’s cathedral. In Cali, falling debris damaged at least one vehicle. Buildings in Bogotá developed cracks, but officials there reported no major structural damage.

No deaths had been confirmed as of midmorning Monday.

Initial estimates of the earthquake’s strength ranged widely before seismic agencies settled near magnitude 7.4, which is common in the first hours after a major quake.

The biggest concern now is Chocó’s remote communities. The department is mountainous, heavily forested and has limited road access, making it difficult for emergency crews to quickly determine the full extent of the damage.

Officials warned that injury and damage totals could rise as rescue teams reach smaller towns closer to the epicenter.

Colombia sits in one of South America’s most active earthquake zones, where the Nazca tectonic plate pushes beneath the South American plate.

Emergency agencies are inspecting buildings across Chocó and neighboring departments and are warning residents to stay out of damaged structures because strong aftershocks remain possible.

JBizNews Desk | Bogotá

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