BreakingColombia, Ecuador hit by 7.4-magnitude earthquake

A Colombian official says ‘there are injuries and serious damage to buildings’

A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, shaking the South American nation and neighbouring Ecuador and prompting people to evacuate homes and buildings.

The epicentre was in San Jose Del Palmar, a municipality in the Choco region about 400km (250 miles) west of Colombia’s capital, Bogota, the US Geological Survey and Colombia’s counterpart reported.

The USGS said it struck at a depth of 107 km (66 miles).

Choco Governor Nubia Córdoba said on social media that in the regional capital, Quibdo, there were injuries and damage to buildings.

He said: “We are concerned about aftershocks. Although the epicentre was near San Jose del Palmar, there are injuries and significant damage to buildings in the capital, Quibdo. We are already carrying out a damage assessment and will issue the first official report shortly.”

The governor of neighbouring Risaralda province, Juan Diego Patino, told local Blu Radio there was “serious damage to some buildings” in Pereira, the provincial capital.