A strong earthquake followed quickly by a strong aftershock shook Colombia’s capital and other major cities Thursday, sending panicked residents out onto the streets and causing minor damage to Colombia’s congressional chamber.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the initial quake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.3 and the aftershock a preliminary magnitude of 5.7. The epicenters of both quakes were about 100 miles ( 160 kilometers) southeast of Bogota, according to USGS.
People in the capital city of 11 million felt buildings and floors rumble in the midday quake, and alarms blared as throngs of residents left their homes and gathered outside
“Everything was moving, and people came out screaming, ‘It’s shaking, it’s shaking!’,” Bogota resident Gonzalo Martin said. “A lot of people started to rush out onto the street because of the tremor.”
A patch of the ornate stonework from the ceiling of the circular hall of Colombia’s House of Representatives in Bogota fell onto the seating area for lawmakers, according to a video posted on an official congressional social media account on X, formerly known as Twitter. The chamber was unoccupied at the time, and nobody there was hurt.
The earthquake was also felt in other big cities like Medellín and Cali.
Videos on social media showed furniture shaking and chandeliers swinging during the quake.
Strong 6.3 earthquake rattles Colombia, nearby aftershock registers 5.7, USGS says
A strong earthquake followed by a big aftershock rattled the country of Colombia on Thursday afternoon, the United States Geological Survey is reporting.
The notable quake registered a preliminary magnitude of 6.3, the USGS said, and was recorded about 10 miles north of Cumaral just after 2 p.m. local time.
The town is about 50 miles southeast of Bogota, the county's capitol.
It was not immediately known if anyone was injured, but The Associated Press reported people felt buildings shake in the capitol and in Medellin, some 152 miles northwest.
At least one aftershock recorded a preliminary magnitude of 5.7 and took place about 4 miles southwest of Restrepo, according to the USGS.
Resterpo, a town in east central Colombia, is about 50 miles from Bogota.
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