A powerful earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale rattled central Colombia on Sunday morning, sending thousands of residents in the capital Bogota rushing into the streets in fear. The quake struck at 8:08 am local time, with its epicenter located near Paratebueno, about 170 kilometers east of Bogota, at a shallow depth of nine kilometers, according to the United States Geological Survey.
In the town of Paratebueno, close to the quake’s origin, buildings suffered partial collapses, including a whitewashed church with a severely damaged wall. Local residents sifted through debris from several zinc-roofed structures that had caved in. While no serious injuries were reported, minor structural damage is being assessed in several neighboring villages.
The tremor was strongly felt in Bogota, a city of eight million nestled in the Andes. Sirens blared across the capital as tall buildings swayed, creaked, and groaned for nearly a minute. Furniture and fixtures shook violently, prompting many residents to flee their homes in pajamas and slippers. Parks and open spaces quickly filled with people seeking safety, some comforting frightened children or searching for missing pets.
โIt was a big scare,โ said Carlos Alberto Ruiz, 54, who fled his apartment with his family and dog. Another resident, lawyer Francisco Gonzalez, remarked, โItโs been a while since we felt it this strong here in Bogota.โ
Authorities reported that aftershocks continued to shake the region, adding to the publicโs unease. The quakeโs effects reached as far as Medellin and Cali, near Colombiaโs Pacific coast.
Emergency services, activated by Bogotaโs mayor Carlos Fernando Galan, are inspecting buildings and providing assistance where needed. The city’s security department confirmed that teams are sweeping neighborhoods to assess damage and ensure public safety.
Colombia lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a zone notorious for frequent and intense seismic activity. In 1999, a devastating 6.2 magnitude quake in the region claimed nearly 1,200 lives, a grim reminder of the country’s vulnerability to such natural disasters.