Tremors felt in Bogota; Powerful quake of 7.4 magnitude rocks Colombia

BOGOTA: A strong earthquake struck Colombia's western Choco province, damaging buildings and injuring several people. The quake struck at around 6 pm on Monday. Tremors were also felt in the capital, Bogota. There were reports of tremors in neighbouring Venezuela and Ecuador.

The epicentre of the quake was near the city of San Jose del Palmar, about 400km west of Bogota. Colombia's National Unit for Disaster Risk Management said it had a magnitude of 6.6. However, the US Geological Survey and Colombia's earthquake monitoring agency said the quake had a magnitude of 7.4.

People fled their homes and buildings after the quake. The provincial governor reported significant damage to buildings and injuries in Quibdo, the capital of Chocó, and authorities warned of the possibility of strong aftershocks following the quake.