A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3 shook central Colombia on Tuesday morning, causing a residential building to partially collapse in Bogotá and leaving multiple people dead and dozens injured.

The tremor struck at approximately 10:47 AM local time near Villavicencio, about 80 kilometers southeast of the capital. The ground shook for nearly 45 seconds, with the impact felt across major cities including Medellín and Cali.

Damage and Casualties

A multi-story apartment building in downtown Bogotá partially collapsed during the quake, leaning onto an adjacent structure. Emergency responders confirmed multiple fatalities and dozens of injuries, with rescue teams still searching for residents believed trapped beneath the rubble.

Photographs from the scene show severe structural damage to the red-brick residential tower, with collapsed balconies, snapped steel reinforcements, and debris covering nearby streets. Air conditioning units hung precariously from cracked walls as rescue operations continued.

Response Efforts

Rescue teams and firefighters mobilized immediately after the earthquake, coordinating search-and-rescue operations with heavy machinery at the collapse site. Emergency vehicles lined the streets as workers navigated through dust and debris in efforts to locate survivors.