A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck Colombia's northeastern Santander department Wednesday, prompting evacuations in buildings in Bogota and the northeastern city of Bucaramanga as the tremor was felt in multiple regions, according to media reports.
"Following the 5.4-magnitude earthquake recorded at 11:45 a.m., we remain in permanent communication with authorities and disaster risk management agencies to verify possible impacts," said the presidency.
No deaths or serious injuries have been reported.
The Colombian Geological Service (SGC) said the epicenter was in the Los Santos municipality in Santander, at a depth of 149 kilometers (93 miles).
The SGC initially reported the earthquake at magnitude 5.4 before updating it to 5.1. The epicenter was located 7 kilometers from Los Santos, 10 kilometers from Jordan and 17 kilometers from Zapatoca.
The tremor was felt in Bogota, Bucaramanga, Medellin and other areas, with residents reporting strong shaking in several municipalities.
In Bogota, numerous buildings were evacuated as a precaution, with workers and residents leaving offices and public buildings and gathering in streets and open areas.
Residents also evacuated buildings in Bucaramanga, while videos online showed people gathering outside.
Seismic activity had already been recorded in several parts of Colombia earlier Wednesday. It began in Istmina, in the northwestern Choco department, at 1.08 am (0608GMT) with a magnitude 3.0 quake at a depth of 39 kilometers.
The Bolivar department, in northern Colombia, subsequently recorded a shallow magnitude 2.3 tremor at 1.51 am, affecting nearby areas, including Simiti and Santa Rosa del Sur.
The strongest early-morning earthquake occurred in Los Santos, Santander, where a magnitude 3.1 tremor was recorded at 1.53 am at a depth of 152 kilometers and felt in neighboring municipalities.
Diego Armando Mendoza, mayor of Los Santos, said the quake caused alarm but that there were no reports of serious damage or injuries.
"We have not been notified of any failures by Risk Management, but two members of the community called me saying they had problems with their homes. It was not serious, and there are currently no injured or affected people," according to media reports.
The latest quake comes just two weeks after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia on Aug. 10, killing at least 321 people and injuring more than 4,500, according to authorities. The quake caused widespread damage in Choco and other areas.
