Colombia Hit by a Magnitude 7.3 Earthquake

Vickie Frantz
By Vickie Frantz, AccuWeather.com Staff Writer
October 01, 2012; 6:10 PM
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A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck Colombia Sunday at 12:31 p.m. EDT.

The quake epicenter was 5 miles west-northwest of Isnos, 37 miles south-southeast of Popayan and 240 miles southwest of Bogata. It happened in the Andean district of Huila.

Earthquakes in the Andes are common as the area has high seismic activity caused by a collision of the South America tectonic plate with the Pacific and Caribbean plates.

At a depth of 100.7 miles, the earthquake did not cause severe shaking at the Earth's surface. The United States Geological Survey's estimate rated the "perceived shaking" as Mercalli V (moderate with "very light" damage potential).

Due the intensity of the quake, shaking could be felt over a widespread area by an estimated 4,315 people.

According to the Associated Press, as of 1:30 p.m. EDT there were no reported injuries or damage.

The last major earthquake in the area was a magnitude 6.8 that struck near the west coast of Colombia on Sept. 10, 2007, at 9:49 p.m. EDT. The quake was responsible for injuring at least four people and damaging 20 homes.


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