Magnitude 6.3 earthquake shakes Colombia's capital Bogota
A powerful magnitude 6.3 earthquake has shaken the Colombian capital of Bogota, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
The USGS reported on Sunday morning that the quake struck near the city of Paratebueno in central Colombia, about 170 kilometres (105 miles) east of Bogota.
Reporters of the AFP news agency on the ground said buildings shook and sirens sounded around Bogota as people rushed out onto the streets for safety.
People gathered in parks and outside buildings in their pyjamas as parents tried to calm frightened children while others searched for pets that had run away during the tremor.
One elderly woman told AFP that the shake was 'very strong' as she made her way down several flights of steps.
The Mayor of Bogota, Carlos Galan, wrote on X that no one was injured in the earthquake, according to preliminary reports.
'At this time, one person is being treated for an anxiety attack and is being transferred to the Central Hospital. So far, minor structural damage and some power outages have been reported, but service has already been restored,' Galan added.
The German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), however, said it was a magnitude 6.5 earthquake, with the epicentre at a depth of 10km (6.21 miles).
Central Colombia, a zone of high seismic activity, has experienced a similar earthquake before, which was recorded as a 6.2 magnitude quake in 1999, claiming nearly 1,200 lives.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Jazeera
7 days ago
- Al Jazeera
At least one person killed, several injured, after earthquake hits Peru
At least one person has been killed, and five others injured after a 5.6 magnitude earthquake hit Peru and was felt throughout the capital, Lima. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said on Sunday that the earthquake occurred at 11:35am (16:35 GMT) local time in the Pacific Ocean, with its epicentre located 23km (14 miles) southwest of Callao, a port city west of the capital Lima. The Peruvian presidency reported that the magnitude of the earthquake was higher than the USGS assessment, registering a 6.1 magnitude. The earthquake did not generate a tsunami warning. In a post on X, the presidency said that President Dina Boluarte was currently travelling to Callao to monitor the coast following the tremor. Police Colonel Ramiro Clauco told the Peruvian broadcaster RPP radio that a 36-year-old man died in northern Lima while 'standing outside his vehicle waiting for a passenger'. The Emergency Operations Centre added that five people were being treated in the hospital and damage had been reported to roads and educational centres. According to Hernando Tavera, executive president of the Geophysical Institute of Peru, who spoke with local TV channel N, all districts in Lima felt the earthquake. Local radio stations also reported that the quake led to the cancellation of a major football match scheduled to be held in Lima. The South American country lies on what is known as the 'Ring of Fire', a path along the Pacific Ocean that is frequently struck by earthquakes and active volcanic activity, with Peru averaging at least 100 detectable earthquakes every year. The last major earthquake occurred in 2021 in the Amazon region, registering a magnitude of 7.5, and left 12 people injured, destroying more than 70 homes. The most disastrous earthquake to hit the country was in 1970 and struck the Ancash region of Peru, causing mass landslides that resulted in the deaths of about 70,000 people.
Qatar Tribune
14-06-2025
- Qatar Tribune
Record sun fuels sweet UK strawberries
Agencies British strawberry farmers say this year's record-breaking spring sunshine and warm days have yielded the cream of the crop, with a bigger and sweeter harvest than usual. Long periods of sun and cool nights provided 'perfect' conditions for the strawberry harvest, according to James Miller from WB Chambers Farms. The dry and pleasant weather also boosted insect pollination, which further improves the quality and shape of the berries, Miller explained. 'They're bigger and sweeter this year than we've seen in previous years,' said Miller, the commercial director for one of the country's biggest berry producers. At one farm near Dartford in Kent, southeast England, rows of strawberry plants drooped with the weight of the gleaming red fruit housed in insulating polytunnels. As farmhands made their way meticulously down the semi-circular white tunnels, punnets were filled with ripe strawberries—some the size of small fists. The weather has resulted in 'super berry size and super flavour,' said Nick Marston, chairman of British Berry Growers, which represents most of the UK's soft fruit farms. 'I've been in the berry industry for 30 years and this is one of the best springs I've ever seen, in terms of both the weather and also the crop,' Marston told AFP.
Al Jazeera
08-06-2025
- Al Jazeera
Magnitude 6.3 earthquake shakes Colombia's capital Bogota
A powerful magnitude 6.3 earthquake has shaken the Colombian capital of Bogota, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The USGS reported on Sunday morning that the quake struck near the city of Paratebueno in central Colombia, about 170 kilometres (105 miles) east of Bogota. Reporters of the AFP news agency on the ground said buildings shook and sirens sounded around Bogota as people rushed out onto the streets for safety. People gathered in parks and outside buildings in their pyjamas as parents tried to calm frightened children while others searched for pets that had run away during the tremor. One elderly woman told AFP that the shake was 'very strong' as she made her way down several flights of steps. The Mayor of Bogota, Carlos Galan, wrote on X that no one was injured in the earthquake, according to preliminary reports. 'At this time, one person is being treated for an anxiety attack and is being transferred to the Central Hospital. So far, minor structural damage and some power outages have been reported, but service has already been restored,' Galan added. The German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), however, said it was a magnitude 6.5 earthquake, with the epicentre at a depth of 10km (6.21 miles). Central Colombia, a zone of high seismic activity, has experienced a similar earthquake before, which was recorded as a 6.2 magnitude quake in 1999, claiming nearly 1,200 lives.
