Strong earthquake, aftershock shake Colombia’s capital

AP:

A strong earthquake followed quickly by a strong aftershock shook Colombia’s capital and other major cities Thursday. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

The US Geological Survey said the initial quake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.3 and the aftershock a preliminary magnitude of 5.7.

The epicentres of both quakes were about 100 miles (160 kilometres) southeast of Bogota, according to USGS. People in the city of 11 million felt buildings and floors rumble in the midday quake.

“Everything was moving, and people came out screaming, ‘It’s shaking, it’s shaking!’,” Bogota resident Gonzalo Martin said. “A lot of people started to rush out on to the street because of the tremor.”

Alarms blared in Bogota as residents left their homes, with throngs of people gathering in the streets. The earthquake was also felt in other big cities like Medellín and Cali.

Videos on social media showed furniture shaking and chandeliers swinging during the quake.