A 7.3-magnitude earthquake hit the city of Popayan in southwest Colombia on Monday at a depth of 162 kilometers (100 miles), the US Geological Survey said.
Colombian government has reportedly stated that no injuries took place from the temblor, which happened at 11:31 a.m. local time. The depth of the quake may have blunted its impact, RCN reported. The temblor damaged some homes in western Colombia, the broadcaster said.
Tremors lasting as long as one minute were felt in Bogota, Cali, Medellin and other major cities in the South American country, according to reports on Bogota-based newspaper El Tiempoâ??s website.
It may be noted that a 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck southwestern Colombia on Sunday morning also.
The quake struck at 11:31 a.m. local time 30 miles from the regional capital of Popayan, and was felt in Bogota as well as 10 of Colombia’s 32 states. The US Geological Survey said its epicenter was 94 miles beneath the earth’s surface.
The USGS originally measured the quake as 7.4 magnitude.
The quake was the most powerful to hit Colombia since a 7.2-magnitude temblor shook the same region in 2004, said Patricia Pedraza of Colombia’s geological service.
Security chief Edith Cabeza of Cauca state, of which Popayan is the capital, reportedly said the “white city” of 270,000 inhabitants suffered no damage.
Popayan’s historical center was largely reconstructed after a March 1983 quake that killed at least 250 people, the report said.
Meanwhile, there were no reports yet of damage or of casualties.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center reportedly said there is no danger of a tsunami because the epicenter was too far inland.
2012 Living Media India Limited