Magnitude 7.4 Earthquake Strikes Colombia, Shakes Ecuador and Panama

In Quibdó, the capital of Chocó, Gov. Nubia Carolina Córdoba confirmed that falling masonry and pieces of building facades injured several people. Debris fell from one of the towers of Manizales’ landmark cathedral, the newspaper El Tiempo reported. National authorities had not immediately confirmed any deaths.

The earthquake was felt across central and western Colombia, including Medellín, Cali, Popayán, Armenia and Bogotá. In Ecuador, the interruption came on the national holiday commemorating the First Cry of Independence. Residents in the provinces of Carchi, Pichincha, Guayas and Esmeraldas reported prolonged shaking, and major hospitals in Quito evacuated patients as a precaution. Panama’s National Civil Protection System said the earthquake was felt lightly in Panama City and Darién province, with no structural damage reported.

Emergency crews continued surveying rural areas near the epicenter as geological authorities warned of possible aftershocks.