(CNN) — A powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, killing scores and severely damaging thousands of buildings. The quake was the strongest originating in the Andean nation since at least 1990, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).
The epicenter was in San José del Palmar, in the northwestern department of Chocó, about 240 kilometers (149 miles) west of Bogotá, and tremors were felt in the capital city. Tremors were also evident in neighboring Venezuela, which is still grappling with the impacts of a destructive set of quakes earlier this summer.
The powerful quake ripped through the South American country, striking at the heart of the country’s coffee-growing region and catapulting communities into a state of national disaster.
Numerous buildings have been essentially razed to the ground or severely damaged, particularly in the major cities of Cali and Pereira.
In one video from Pereira, terrified residents can be seen seeking refuge in the middle of an intersection as buildings shake violently around them. They then watch in horror before turning to run from a nearby building as it collapses into the street, spraying plumes of dust and debris towards them.
In another dramatic video posted to social media, a building belonging to the University Hospital of Cali can be seen crumbling to the ground as the quake strikes.
Meanwhile in Manizales, video posted on social media and geolocated by CNN shows two women in the city’s center desperately fleeing from a building as parts of it start to fall to the ground during the earthquake. Both struggle to stay on their feet, before one leaps to safety and passersby help the other woman get away as the quake rattles the area.
Most earthquakes occur near tectonic plate boundaries, though they do occasionally happen on the interior of continents, according to the USGS.
Julio Fierro Morales, director of the Colombian Geological Service, noted that western Colombia lies along a subduction zone, where one tectonic plate slides beneath another.
“For this reason, this region has experienced earthquakes of considerable magnitude throughout its history,” Fierre Morales said. “Among the historical precedents is the earthquake that occurred on November 23, 1979, with a magnitude of 7.2.”
Quakes such as Monday’s in Colombia are measured on a magnitude scale. This one, with its 7.4 reading, would be considered “major” with damage expected.
The-CNN-Wire
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