Strong earthquake on Colombia's Pacific coast causes damages and injuries

A strong magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck the Pacific Colombian province of Chocó Monday morning, causing widespread structural damage and injuries.

Officials are conducting an assessment -- the extent of the damages and injuries is currently uknown.

“We have just experienced a severe seismic event in the department of Chocó,” Nubia Carolina Córdoba-Curi, the Governor of Chocó, said on X.

“Although the epicentre was in San José del Palmar, in the capital Quibdó there are injuries and severe damage to buildings. We are already conducting the damage assessment to issue the first official report.”

The quake has not posed a tsunami risk.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

How strong is a magnitude 7.4 earthquake?

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake is considered a major seismic event, capable of causing serious damage over a large area.

Earthquakes of this magnitude are realtively rare in Colombia.

"Since 1950, there were two previous earthquakes of magnitude 7 or larger within 250 km of this earthquake; however, they were located near the coast of Colombia," the USGS says in its tectonic summary of today's earthquake.

"The region around the August 10, 2026, earthquake has more typically experienced smaller earthquakes not exceeding magnitude 7. Recent damaging earthquakes in Colombia have included interface subduction earthquakes near the coast and in neighbouring Ecuador, as well as shallow crustal earthquakes occurring close to population centers in the country."

Please note: This information is accurate at the time of posting and may change on the USGS website as more data is collected.