Updated at 5:39 a.m. on August 18, 2023
BOGOTA — A strong earthquake of 6.3 magnitude struck the Colombian capital Bogota on Thursday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, prompting frightened residents to flee into the street and leading a woman to fall to her death.
There were no immediate reports of major damage from the quake, which Colombia’s national geological service reported as a magnitude 6.1.
“It was strong, and lasted a long time, said Adrian Alarcon, 43, who works near the capital’s busy Park 93 district.
“It makes me feel fragile,” he added. “Life changes in a second. You can’t do anything, just run for your life.”
Tragedy struck in the southeast of the capital, where one woman fell to her death out of a window during the quake, Mayor Claudia Lopez said on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
“We deeply regret the only serious incident reported: a woman threw herself from the 10th floor of a residential building in Madelena, apparently due nerves. We’re accompanying those who were with her in the house with medical teams,” Lopez said.
Colombia’s Congress reported damages to the chamber of representatives, where the earthquake shook a plaster decoration free from the ceiling and onto a desk below.
No one was hurt, the chamber of representatives said in a message posted on X.
Colombia’s civil defense agency noted residents had been evacuated in the entire municipality of Calvario, southeast of the capital. Windows in the area were damaged by the quakes.
In nearby Villavicencio, the agency reported a landslide and said its staff was checking for more impacts.
The initial quake was followed by aftershocks minutes later as people crowded the city’s streets. Colombia’s national geological service estimated the second quake at a 5.6 magnitude, with the following aftershock measured at 4.8.