Buildings swayed, sirens blared and panicked Colombians raced onto the streets Sunday after a shallow 6.3 magnitude earthquake rattled the center of the country.

The quake struck at 8:08 am about 170 kilometers (105 miles) east of the capital Bogota and was felt across much of the country.

In the town of Paratebueno, not far from the epicenter, AFP reporters saw several partially collapsed buildings, including a whitewashed church with one wall seriously damaged.

Nearby residents picked through the debris of several collapsed zinc-roofed structures.

There were no reports of serious injuries, but authorities were investigating minor damage in several other villages.

In Bogota — a city nestled in the high Andes and home to eight million people — the lengthy jolt prompted sirens to go off and sparked widespread alarm.

Tall buildings visibly moved from side to side, creaking and groaning for almost a minute, while furniture and fittings shook violently.

Thousands of Bogotanos raced downstairs and out of buildings still wearing their pajamas and sought refuge in parks and other open spaces.

Parents tried to calm terrified children, couples hugged and others looked for pets that had run away.

Many were afraid to go back inside as several aftershocks were detected.

“It was a big scare,” said 54-year-old Carlos Alberto Ruiz, who left his apartment with his wife, son and dog.

“It’s been a while since we felt it this strong here in Bogota,” said Francisco Gonzalez, a lawyer who also fled his home.

The United States Geological Survey said the quake struck at a depth of nine kilometers (5.5 miles) near Paratebueno.

The impact was felt as far away as Medellin and Cali — close to the Pacific coast.

Bogota’s security department said on X that emergency workers were conducting a sweep of the city to look for damage and provide assistance.

Bogota’s mayor, Carlos Fernando Galan, said all disaster agencies had been activated.

Central Colombia is in a zone of high seismic activity. A 6.2 magnitude quake there in 1999 claimed nearly 1,200 lives.

A powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck central Colombia early Sunday, sending residents, the U.S. Geological Survey said. No casualties were immediately reported.

The shallow quake struck at 8:08 a.m. at a depth of 6.2 miles about 10.5 miles from the city of Paratebueno, which is about 116 miles southeast of the capital of Bogota. Residents said they felt the tremor in cities including Medellin, Cali and Manizales.

People remain on the street after an earthquake in Bogota on June 8, 2025. RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP via Getty Images

The Colombian Geological Service reported additional tremors with magnitudes ranging from 4 to 4.6 that occurred in the same area minutes later.

The National Unit for Disaster Risk Management said on X that it was assessing the situation in several municipalities.

Images posted on social media showed people in Bogota who felt the tremor — some left their workplaces to seek safety. Footage from rural areas indicated there was no damage.

“It was a big scare,” 54-year-old Carlos Alberto Ruiz, who left his Bogota apartment with his wife, son and dog, told AFP.

People remain on the street after an earthquake in Bogota on June 8, 2025. RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP via Getty Images

“It’s been a while since we felt it this strong here in Bogota,” said Francisco Gonzalez, a lawyer who also fled his home.

Colombia lies in the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region known for frequent seismic and volcanic activity.

Colombians from Paratebueno to the capital of Bogota, some 110 miles east, awoke Sunday, June 8, to a powerful 6.3-magnitude earthquake, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Despite its sizable impact, no casualties or widespread damage have been reported.

The quake hit near Paratebueno just after 8 a.m. local time at a shallow depth of around 10 kilometers, or 6.2 miles. Aftershocks, registering 4 to 4.6 on the Richter scale, were felt a few minutes later.

According to local media, residents evacuated their homes, some taking refuge in streets and parks while still in their pajamas or having just begun their workday, after sirens blared across the city. The quake was also felt in Medellín, Cali and Manizales.

In a post on X, Bogota Mayor Carlos Galan said preliminary reports indicate there were no injuries from the quake. Galan added that there are some reports of people being trapped in elevators and apartment buildings, while one person was brought to Central Hospital after suffering an anxiety attack.

“So far, some damage, mostly minor, to facades and structures has been reported. Several transformers were also damaged, and there were some power outages, but service has already been restored in much of the city,” Galan concluded.

Meanwhile, the official X account for the City of Bogota said that all city-run activities have been suspended for the day, including its cultural and recreational spaces. “Due to today’s earthquake and possible aftershocks, we will be conducting structural checks on the buildings,” the city wrote.

“It’s been a while since we felt it this strong here in Bogota,” resident Francisco Gonzalez said. A similarly strong earthquake hit central Colombia in 1999, killing 1,200 people.

Colombia lies in the Pacific Ring of Fire, a highly active tectonic strip of Earth that stretches from Japan and Southeast Asia through South America.

BOGOTA – A powerful, shallow 6.3-magnitude earthquake shook the Colombian capital of Bogota early Sunday, according to AFP reporters on the ground and the United States Geological Survey.

The shallow quake struck near the city of Paratebueno in central Colombia, some 170 kilometers east of Bogota, the USGS said.

No casualties were immediately reported in the tremor, also felt in cities including Medellin, Cali and Manizales.

In Bogota, buildings shook, sirens blared and people rushed out into the streets, while social media users posted videos of swinging lights and furniture, though the images could not be immediately verified by AFP.

Scores of people gathered in parks and outside buildings in their pajamas, with parents trying to calm frightened children and others looking for pets that had run away.

Many were afraid to go back inside.

“It was a big scare,” said 54-year-old Carlos Alberto Ruiz, who left his apartment with his wife, son and dog.

“It’s been a while since we felt it this strong here in Bogota,” said Francisco Gonzalez, a lawyer who also fled his home.

“This was very strong,” said one elderly lady trying to make her way down several flights of steps.

People remain on the street after a powerful, shallow 6.3-magnitude earthquake shook the Colombian capital of Bogota early Sunday on June 8, 2025. Luis Acoasta/ AFP

BOGOTA, Colombia — A major 6.3-magnitude earthquake lasting several seconds shook the Colombian capital of Bogota early Sunday, according to AFP reporters on the ground and the United States Geological Survey.

The shallow quake struck near the city of Paratebueno in central Colombia, some 170 kilometers (105 miles) east of Bogota, the USGS said.

No casualties were immediately reported in the tremor, also felt in cities including Medellin, Cali and Manizales.

The quake, which the Colombian national geological survey registered at magnitude 6.5, was one of the strongest and longest felt in the capital in recent years.

In Bogota buildings shook, sirens blared and people rushed out into the streets.

Scores of residents gathered in parks and outside buildings in their pajamas, with parents trying to calm frightened children and others looking for pets that had run away.

Many were afraid to go back inside.

“It was a big scare,” said 54-year-old Carlos Alberto Ruiz, who left his apartment with his wife, son and dog.

“It’s been a while since we felt it this strong here in Bogota,” said Francisco Gonzalez, a lawyer who also fled his home.

“This was very strong,” said one elderly lady trying to make her way down several flights of steps.

Bogota’s security department said on X that emergency workers were conducting a sweep of the city to look for damage and provide assistance.

Bogota’s mayor, Carlos Fernando Galan, said all disaster agencies had been activated.

Central Colombia is in a zone of high seismic activity. A 6.2 magnitude quake there in 1999, not far from Ansermanuevo, claimed nearly 1,200 lives.

The country is on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of intense seismic activity where tectonic plates collide that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin to South America. — Agence France-Presse