A strong 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia and neighboring Ecuador in South America on Monday, prompting people to evacuate buildings.
The epicenter was located in San Jose Del Palmar, about 250 miles west of the Colombian capital, Bogota. The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake struck at a depth of 66 miles. Colombia’s counterpart agency initially reported the earthquake as 6.7 magnitude before updating it to 7.4.
Tremors were felt throughout multiple cities, including Bogota, and impacted other countries, such as Panama and Venezuela. In Bogota, the U.S. Embassy said it’s monitoring the powerful earthquake.
“We have just experienced a severe seismic event in the department of Choco,” Choco Gov. Nubia Carolina Cordoba-Curi posted on X. “We are concerned about aftershocks. Although the epicenter was in San Jose del Palmar, in the capital Quibdo there are injuries and severe damage to buildings. We are already conducting the damage assessment to issue the first official report.”
The extent of the damage so far is unknown, but airports were among the buildings reportedly damaged by the earthquake.
Abelardo De La Espriella, who became the president of Colombia on Friday, said he “directly assumed leadership of the emergency response” in the municipality where the earthquake originated.
“I have ordered the establishment of a Unified Command Post to coordinate the attention to the damages and the affected individuals,” he said. “I have requested from the director of the UNGRD a detailed report on the situation and the most urgent needs. I will also be personally in Pereira to accompany the affected people and verify the Government’s response.”
Israel pledged to provide help to Colombia in its time of need following the natural disaster.
“We are following with concern the news about the earthquake that has struck Colombia,” Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister Gideon Sa’ar said. “I have offered my counterpart, Colombia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, [Omar Bula Escobar], all the assistance that Israel can provide. Israel is prepared to help Colombia in whatever is needed.”
“My thoughts and prayers are with the Colombian people in these difficult times,” Sa’ar added.
US DEPORTS FIRST BATCH OF VENEZUELANS SINCE EARTHQUAKES
In late June, Venezuela experienced two back-to-back 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes that damaged or destroyed thousands of buildings and killed over 6,100 people.
The State Department promptly responded to the Venezuela earthquakes at the time by providing aid.