[1/3]People stand in a street after a strong earthquake shook the Colombian capital Bogota, prompting offices and restaurants to be evacuated, in Bogota, Colombia August 17, 2023. REUTERS/Luisa Gonzalez Acquisition of licensing rights
BOGOTA (Reuters) – A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3 struck the Colombian capital, Bogotá, according to the US Geological Survey, prompting panicked residents to flee their homes, offices and restaurants.
The first quake was followed by aftershocks minutes later as people thronged the city streets. The National Geological Service of Colombia estimated the second quake to be a magnitude of 5.6, and the following quake had a magnitude of 4.8.
“It was strong and lasted for a long time,” said Adrian Alarcon, 43, who works near the crowded Park 93 area of the capital, referring to the first tremor.
“It makes me feel fragile,” he added. “Life changes in a second. You can’t do anything, just run for your life.”
The Colombian Civil Defense Agency has indicated that residents have been evacuated in the entire municipality of Calvario, in Meta, southeast of the highland capital. Windows in the area were damaged by earthquakes.
In the neighboring city of Villavicencio, the agency reported a landslide and said its staff was looking for further impacts.
(Reporting by Julia Symmes Cobb and Oliver Griffin); Written by Sarah Moreland. Editing by David Aller Garcia and Alistair Bell
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