Colombia’s Choco province reels from magnitude 7.4 earthquake as damage assessments begin

A powerful earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday morning, with the epicentre located on the eastern tip of the Choco province, south of the Tatama National Nature Reserve. The US Geological Survey initially measured the event at magnitude 7.4, while Colombia’s national authority recorded a lower figure, leaving the final official magnitude to be confirmed. The quake occurred at a depth of approximately 107 kilometres, according to USGS data.

Severe building damage and injuries have been reported in Quibdo, the provincial capital, which has a population of around 150,000. Governor Nubia Carolina Cordoba-Curi confirmed the extent of the damage online, stating that assessments are underway to produce the first official report. She expressed concern regarding potential aftershocks, noting that the epicentre was near San Jose del Palmar, close to Choco’s eastern state border.

Tremors from the seismic event were felt widely, extending beyond Colombia’s borders. Reports indicate that shaking was felt in Bogota, as well as in Quito in Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela. The USGS estimated that most of the western half of Colombia would experience the tremors, with the epicentre situated roughly equidistant from the country’s three main cities: Bogota to the east, Medellin to the north, and Cali to the south.

The closest major population centre to the epicentre is Cartago, home to approximately 140,000 people and located roughly 30 kilometres away. The Choco province lies on Colombia’s Pacific coast, an area situated along the 'Ring of Fire', the world’s most active belt of tectonic plates and volcanoes encircling the Pacific Ocean.

While the immediate impact is concentrated in the Choco region, the wide reach of the tremors highlights the seismic volatility of the area. Authorities remain focused on damage assessment and monitoring for aftershocks as the full extent of the disaster becomes clearer.