Earthquake in Colombia Damages Hundreds of Homes, Buildings

Edited by Ivan Martínez
2015-03-12 14:14:09

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Bogota, March 12 (teleSUR-RHC)-- An 6.6-magnitude earthquake hit the north of Colombia and parts of Venezuela at 3:55 p.m. local time Tuesday, causing damages to hundreds of buildings in at least 14 municipalities across the country, government officials reported Wednesday.

Over 200 homes and three airports were also reported damaged after the earthquake, a spokesperson for the Colombian government said. However, no victims have yet been reported.

The epicenter of the quake was in Colombia's northern province of Santander, but reverberation was also strongly felt in the country's capital Bogota, as well as the cities of Medellin, Cucuta and Bucaramanga. Tremors were felt as far away as the city of Maracaibo in the east of Venezuela, and other surrounding cities.

People rapidly evacuated buildings and filled parks, plazas and other open space areas. Telephone services have reportedly been down in Bogota, but no other major damages or injuries have yet been reported.

Immediately after the quake, President Juan Manuel Santos said the country was on alert and officials were monitoring the consequences of the earthquake that rocked at least 17 provinces.

A major earthquake in 1999 killed around 1,000 in the large Colombia’s western coffee-growing region.



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