A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, sending strong tremors across parts of the country and neighbouring Ecuador.
The earthquake was recorded in San José del Palmar, a municipality in Colombia’s Chocó region, about 400 kilometres west of the capital, Bogotá, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and Colombian authorities.
The USGS said the quake occurred at a depth of about 107 kilometres.
Chocó Governor Nubia Córdoba said there were injuries and significant damage to buildings in the regional capital.
She disclosed this in a social media post but did not provide details on the number of people injured or the extent of the damage.
The tremor sent residents fleeing homes and buildings in affected areas as authorities assessed the situation.
The earthquake comes weeks after two strong tremors, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, struck Venezuela in late June.
Those earthquakes caused widespread destruction, with hundreds of buildings reportedly damaged and more than 5,000 people killed.
Authorities in Colombia and Ecuador are expected to provide further updates as assessment of the latest earthquake continues.
