A man looks at a damaged vehicle after an earthquake impacted Cali, Colombia, on Monday. The 7.4-magnitude quake shook much of the country, and authorities reported damage in several cities, including Manizales, Cali and Pereira. Photo by Ernesto Guzman/EPA
Aug. 10 (UPI) -- A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday and was felt as far away as Ecuador and Panama, prompting evacuations and causing structural damage in several Colombian cities.
The earthquake struck at 7:34 a.m. local time, according to a preliminary report from the Colombian Geological Service, or SGC.
The epicenter was located near the municipality of San José del Palmar in Colombia's western Chocó department. Strong, prolonged shaking was also reported in Ecuador and Panama, triggering widespread evacuations and scenes of panic.
Despite the strength of the earthquake, international monitoring agencies and the SGC reported a depth of between 51 to 66 miles, a factor that reduced the intensity of shaking at the surface.
