Damaging M5.6 earthquake hits Cartago, Colombia
A strong earthquake registered by the SGC as M5.6 hit Cartago, Colombia’s Valle del Cauca Department at 11:26 UTC (06:26 local time) on January 19, 2024. The agency is reporting a depth of 52 km (32 miles). USGS and EMSC are reporting M5.6 at a depth of 61 km (38 miles).
The epicenter was located 5.4 km (3.4 miles) SE of Cartago (population 134 972), 16.1 km (10 miles) NW of Quimbaya (population 35 350), 16.2 km (10.1 miles) ESE of Ansermanuevo (population 12 332), and 22.1 km (13.7 miles) WSW of Pereira (population 467 269), Colombia.
39 000 people are estimated to have felt very strong shaking, 120 000 strong, 734 000 moderate, and 6 630 000 light.
The USGS issued a Yellow alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. Some casualties and damage are possible and the impact should be relatively localized. Past yellow alerts have required a local or regional level response.
Estimated economic losses are less than 1% of GDP of Colombia.
Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are vulnerable to earthquake shaking, though resistant structures exist. The predominant vulnerable building types are mud wall with wood and unknown/miscellaneous types construction.
Recent earthquakes in this area have caused secondary hazards such as landslides and liquefaction that might have contributed to losses.
Estimated population exposure to earthquake shaking
Selected cities exposed
Regional seismicity
Multimedia
Momento del #sismo que sacudió #Colombia, desde San José de Armenia, Quindío.
— Centinela35 (@Centinela_35) January 19, 2024
📹 Juan Diego Lozano Jaramillo pic.twitter.com/H60HgtllI8
Tiendas Ara, en la Virginia, Risaralda, tras el #sismo que sacudió #Colombia 🇨🇴
— Centinela35 (@Centinela_35) January 19, 2024
➡️ https://t.co/oDK9URLLfM pic.twitter.com/surNOJw21s
#Colombia 🇨🇴 Reportan daños por el #sismo en La Virginia, Risaralda.
— Centinela35 (@Centinela_35) January 19, 2024
Fotos: Adrian Felipe Pelaez pic.twitter.com/ckB3TCXUiT
M5.6 #earthquake struck 14 miles SW of Pereira in #Colombia about 90mins ago causing shaking and some structural damage 👀 👀
— Volcaholic 🌋 (@volcaholic1) January 19, 2024
📹 Juan Diego Lozano Jaramillo pic.twitter.com/HF7Yw7sc92
Featured image credit: TW/SAM, Google
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