Bucaramanga, the capital of the north-central Colombian department of Santander, was hit by two earthquakes Tuesday.
Colombia’s Institute of Mines and Minerology (Ingeominas) reported the first earthquake at 12:55PM. The tremor registered at 4.9 on the Richter scale, and the epicenter was reported to be in Los Santos, nearby Bucaramanga.
Bucaramanga residents and workers in high-rise buildings made numerous panicked calls to the Civil Defense, reporting the strong effects of the earthquake.
The second earthquake struck at 2:35PM from the same epicenter, registering 3.2 on the Richter scale, although residents apparently did not feel the second tremor.
According to Caracol Radio, there are no current reports of damage or victims from the stronger earthquake, although it was felt as far as the municipalities of Barrancabermeja (Santander), Cucuta (Norte de Santander) and the southern region of Cesar department.
The Los Santos epicenter was the same place from which a 2.8 Richter scale earthquake originated yesterday, while on Monday there was also a 2.7 scale quake in the nearby rural Zapatoca, reported El Tiempo.
