5.4 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Rioblanco, Colombia
Two people were injured and 10 homes damaged in the Tolima department following the Tuesday morning tremor.
By Zara Ahmed ·
A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck the center-western region of Colombia on Tuesday morning, causing structural damage and injuring at least two residents. The United States Geological Survey recorded the event at 4:13 a.m. local time, placing the epicenter in the municipality of Rioblanco within the Tolima department. The agency measured the quake at a depth of 10 kilometers.
The Tolima governor’s office issued a statement confirming one initial injury. A person was hurt when a wall collapsed inside a home in Chaparral, a town located approximately 31 miles from Rioblanco. That individual was transported to a hospital for treatment.
The National Unit for Disaster Risk Management later raised the injury count to two. The second person received medical attention for a panic attack in Chaparral. The unit reported that 10 residences sustained damage in the Tolima department, with the majority of the affected homes located in Chaparral.
Colombia’s Geological Service identified the epicenter specifically in Chaparral. The service noted that the area has experienced notable seismic activity since December 20, 2025. Residents and officials have observed characteristics of an earthquake swarm in the zone. Since that date, more than 1,632 seismic events with magnitudes above 2 have been recorded in the region.
“Tolima is crossed by different active geological faults, which can generate this type of seismic activity,” the Colombian Geological Service stated. The tremor was felt in Ibagué, the capital of Tolima, where structural damage was identified in a building. Residents in Bogotá evacuated some buildings in the early hours. The quake was also felt in Cali to the southwest and Armenia to the center-east.
The National Unit for Disaster Risk Management said it continued to gather information to identify any new developments. Officials indicated that no damage was reported to roads, schools, health centers, or bridges. The region is still recovering from a magnitude 7.4 earthquake that occurred on August 10. That event, the largest recorded in the current century, killed more than 330 people and damaged infrastructure in 16 departments.
Source: WSCV · original report published
