Powerful Earthquake Strikes Choco Province, Colombia; Buildings Damaged

The Colombian geological service reported that the quake's epicentre was in Choco province, on the Pacific coast, initially reporting a magnitude of 6.6.

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Both agencies pinpointed the epicentre to San Jose del Palmar, about 400 kilometres west of Colombia’s capital, Bogota, and said the quake occurred at 7:34 am local time on Monday, August 10.

The depth was recorded at 79 km or deeper, said the UNGRD, the South American country's federal agency. The USGS specified the epicentre was 5 km east of San Jose del Palmar.

Visuals on social media showed buildings cracking and people tripping on the streets, as far as El Cable in Manizales, 120 km from San Jose del Palmar. Footage published by local media showed damage to residential and office buildings in other nearby cities. Blu Radio reported cracks in buildings in Cali, Armenia and Pereira, as well as Medellin.