Colombians from Paratebueno to the capital of Bogota, some 110 miles east, awoke Sunday, June 8, to a powerful 6.3-magnitude earthquake, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Despite its sizable impact, no casualties or widespread damage have been reported.
The quake hit near Paratebueno just after 8 a.m. local time at a shallow depth of around 10 kilometers, or 6.2 miles. Aftershocks, registering 4 to 4.6 on the Richter scale, were felt a few minutes later.
According to local media, residents evacuated their homes, some taking refuge in streets and parks while still in their pajamas or having just begun their workday, after sirens blared across the city. The quake was also felt in Medellín, Cali and Manizales.
In a post on X, Bogota Mayor Carlos Galan said preliminary reports indicate there were no injuries from the quake. Galan added that there are some reports of people being trapped in elevators and apartment buildings, while one person was brought to Central Hospital after suffering an anxiety attack.
“So far, some damage, mostly minor, to facades and structures has been reported. Several transformers were also damaged, and there were some power outages, but service has already been restored in much of the city,” Galan concluded.
Meanwhile, the official X account for the City of Bogota said that all city-run activities have been suspended for the day, including its cultural and recreational spaces. “Due to today’s earthquake and possible aftershocks, we will be conducting structural checks on the buildings,” the city wrote.
“It’s been a while since we felt it this strong here in Bogota,” resident Francisco Gonzalez said. A similarly strong earthquake hit central Colombia in 1999, killing 1,200 people.
Colombia lies in the Pacific Ring of Fire, a highly active tectonic strip of Earth that stretches from Japan and Southeast Asia through South America.