Seismic crisis in Colombia: Earthquake triggers evacuations and structural damage across major cities

A significant seismic event struck western Colombia on Monday, causing injuries and substantial damage to infrastructure across several provinces. The tremor, centred in the Choco province, prompted immediate emergency responses in major urban centres, including the capital, Bogota, where building evacuations were ordered following the activation of emergency sirens.

Colombia’s geological service recorded the earthquake at magnitude 6.6, whereas the US Geological Survey (USGS) measured the event at 7.4. The USGS located the epicentre approximately 100 km underground on the eastern tip of Choco province, a depth that typically mitigates surface destruction but did not prevent serious structural impacts in the region. The discrepancy between the two agencies remains unconfirmed, with the final official magnitude pending verification.

Reports of severe damage and injuries have emerged from Quibdo, the capital of Choco province. The provincial governor confirmed the extent of the destruction on social media platform X, noting that buildings suffered significant structural compromise. Similarly, the mayor of Cali, Colombia’s third-largest city, reported major damage to local infrastructure. News footage broadcast by local outlets showed several buildings with their facades ripped off by the force of the tremor.

The shaking was widely felt across Latin America, extending beyond Colombia’s borders. Tremors were reported in Ecuador and as far north as Panama, with the USGS estimating that most of the western half of Colombia experienced the seismic activity. In Bogota, eyewitness accounts described residents evacuating buildings in their nightwear as emergency protocols were enacted.

This event follows a period of heightened seismic activity in the region, including twin earthquakes in Venezuela on June 24 that killed more than 6,000 people. While the current damage assessment is ongoing, the immediate focus for Colombian authorities remains on stabilising the affected areas in Choco and Cali and managing the humanitarian response in the capital.