Strong earthquake hits northwest Colombia

A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.9 has struck northwest Colombia, with shaking felt in Medellin, Apartadó, Caucasia and other cities in the region. There are no reports of casualties.

The earthquake, which struck at 9:01 p.m. on Tuesday, was centered about 24 kilometers east of Mutata, or 86 kilometers southeast of Apartadó and 129 kilometers northwest of Medelin. It struck at a shallow depth.

The earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 5.9, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

Residents throughout the region reported feeling the earthquake, though there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties. Because the epicenter was on land and the magnitude too low, there’s no tsunami threat.

In January 1999, at least 1,185 people were killed and 700 others were left missing when a 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck near the city of Armenia. “We didn’t have such a long quake in years. People get scared really easy in this region after the 1999 quake and death toll,” Felipe Molina said.