7.4 quake hits Colombia airport, injuring several

A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake rocked Colombia’s Pereira airport Thursday afternoon, sending staff and travelers into a frenzy as walls cracked and ceilings swayed in violent tremors.

The quake struck at 12:14 p.m. local time near the town of La Virginia, about 12 miles west of Pereira in the coffee-growing region of Risaralda. It was felt across central Colombia, including Bogotá and Medellín, but Pereira airport bore the brunt of the shaking. Surveillance footage shows ceiling panels collapsing, lights flickering, and staff sprinting across the terminal as alarms blared. No immediate deaths were reported, but several people were treated for cuts and shock after being struck by falling debris.

Colombia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where tectonic plates collide, making it one of the most seismically active countries in the world. This quake was the strongest in the region since a 6.8-magnitude tremor in 2022 near the Pacific coast. While Pereira has no record of a quake this large, the area’s soft volcanic soil can amplify shaking, increasing damage risk to buildings. The airport, a hub for domestic flights, shut down temporarily for safety checks, stranding hundreds of passengers.

Authorities now warn of aftershocks that could weaken already damaged structures. Engineers are inspecting the airport for structural harm, and flights remain grounded pending clearance. The government has urged residents in central Colombia to check their homes for cracks and avoid tall buildings until the seismic activity subsides. Though the quake caused panic, Colombia’s strict building codes—updated after a deadly 1999 quake—likely prevented a far worse outcome. Still, this event underscores the constant threat of nature in a country where the earth is always moving.