The municipality of Los Santos, in the Santander region, is the place with the highest seismic activity in Colombia, located on the Bucaramanga seismic nest. In the past year, nearly 6 thousand earthquakes have been recorded in this town and it is the epicenter of almost 70% of the tremors that occur in the national territory. Additionally, Colombia is located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region that contains 75% of the world’s volcanoes and where 85% of the strongest tremors globally occur.
Colombia is considered a highly seismic country and the tectonic movements that originate in this country are mainly related to the subduction zone of the Pacific. This happens when the Nazca plate sinks beneath the South American plate, causing the rocky material to melt in the Earth’s mantle and emerge in the form of lava through the volcanoes, such as those in the Central Mountain Range, and also due to geologic faults that are active in the country.
The Colombian Geological Survey (SGC) is the institute responsible for monitoring and tracking geological threats, that is, informing citizens about the latest tremors. Therefore, in the following lines, I will show you a real-time updated report of the latest seismic events, with exact data such as the epicenter, time, magnitude, and other details in the main Colombian municipalities.
Earthquake in Colombia today, August 5 via SGC LIVE
In this article, you will see the latest report of the earthquakes that occurred in Colombia and were disseminated by the SGC (Colombian Geological Survey) today, Monday, August 5, 2024, with data such as magnitude, epicenter, and time, along with very important information related to these events.
Prevention measures during an earthquake in Colombia
The National Unit for Disaster Risk Management in Colombia warns about what you should do during an earthquake:
- Stay close to columns, under a desk, or in areas marked as safe, always away from glass or objects that can fall.
- Never use elevators to evacuate.
- Do not position yourself under door frames.
- If you are in a wheelchair, position yourself next to a column or safe place, brake the chair, and protect your head with your arms.
- If you are lying down and cannot reach a safe place, stay in bed or on your side and protect your head with your arms or a pillow.
- If you are on the street, observe your surroundings and find a safe place. Try to stay away from poles and wires. Move away from facades as bricks or glass may fall, cautiously head to the center of the street.
- If you are driving on an urban highway, do not stop, reduce speed, and look for bays, shoulders, or other safe places to pull over.
- If you are driving on a road, slow down and find a safe place to park. In Colombia, the highway police number is #767.
- If you are driving on a bridge, slow down and try not to stop until you have crossed it; bridges are not safe places during earthquakes.
- If you are in a public place like a theater or cinema, stay in your seat, protect your head with your arms, and wait for the earthquake to end, then evacuate.