Massive 7.4-Magnitude Earthquake Rocks Colombia

The Geological Service of Colombia confirmed a magnitude 7.4 earthquake rocking the country around 7:34 a.m. local time in the western region of Chocó, potentially causing significant damage.

The earthquake has already prompted at least one aftershock recorded at upwards of magnitude four. Locals in Chocó, Cali, and throughout the west of the country had recorded alarming videos of buildings swaying, their windows crashing down and leaving trails of debris on the streets. At press time, however, authorities have not documented any deaths, though local officials in Chocó warned that they expect a high number of casualties.

Colombian seismic authorities typically document about 2,500 earthquakes in the country each year, but most are of negligible intensity and not noticed by the general population.

Dramatic videos of affected areas indicate that some buildings have suffered structural damage although they have not yet fallen. One video shared by the magazine Semana showed significant damage to a military station in Buenaventura.

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