Two earthquakes shake Colombia's Chocó region within minutes

Two earthquakes rattled the Colombian municipality of Istmina in the Chocó region on Sunday, August 23, with the Colombian Geological Service (SGC) reporting magnitudes of 3.9 and 3.7. The tremors occurred just 12 minutes apart within the same hour, highlighting seismic activity in the area.

The first earthquake, with a magnitude of 3.9, struck at 9:28 p.m. Its epicenter was near Istmina, and it had a depth of 76 kilometers. Twelve minutes later, at 9:40 p.m., a second earthquake of magnitude 3.7 shook the same region. This subsequent tremor was classified as shallow by the SGC, with a depth of less than 30 kilometers, and its epicenter was also near Istmina.

Residents in cities like Pereira, Cali, Armenia, and Tuluá, as well as areas in the Valle del Cauca department, reported feeling both seismic events. Social media buzzed with accounts of the shaking, with one user in Cali confirming they felt it, and another in Pereira noting their bed shook. One Pereira resident described the fear, stating their family immediately gathered essentials like flashlights and water, indicating a lasting impact on their sense of security.

These recent tremors follow a significant 7.4 magnitude earthquake that hit San José del Palmar, Chocó, on August 10. That earlier event, with a depth of 103 kilometers, resulted in a substantial toll: 329 fatalities, 4,592 injuries, 234 disappearances, and 364 rescues, according to official figures from the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management.

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En Pereira me sonó la alerta y ahí mismo cogimos maletas, donde cargamos ya linternas, agua, pica, etc. Ya no volveremos a ser los mismos