Earthquake Today: 6.5 magnitude earthquake shakes Colombia's capital city, Bogota

Earthquake Today: Colombia's capital city, Bogota, was hit by a 6.5 magnitude earthquake on Sunday, 8 June 2025, reported the news agency Reuters, citing the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ).

The earthquake originated from a depth of 10 kilometres, the GFZ officials told the news agency. The buildings in the city shook as sirens blared around the nation's capital on Sunday. 

According to an AFP report citing the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake hit 170 kilometres near the city of Bogota at 9:08 local time.

People started rushing out onto the street to seek safety, and some shared videos of swinging lights and furniture as the 6.5 magnitude earthquake wreaked havoc in Colombia.

“This was very strong,” an elderly lady in Bogota told the news agency.

The report also mentioned how Central Colombia is a high seismic zone, and earlier in 1999, a 6.2 magnitude earthquake claimed nearly 1,200 lives near the region of Ansermanuevo. 

The earthquake added another cause of concern for the people of the nation after a Presidential candidate was shot earlier on the same day.

Colombia Presidential Candidate Shot

A very unfortunate day for the nation, as earlier on Sunday, 8 June 2025, Colombia's Presidential candidate and senator, Miguel Uribe Turbay, was shot at an event in Bogota.

The 39-year-old presidential candidate was taken to a medical centre as video footage showed Miguel Uribe Turbay's head and back covered in blood, reported the news agency Bloomberg.

According to an earlier report, Uribe's party condemned the attack and said that the candidate was hosting a campaign event when “armed subjects shot him in the back.” 

However, there was no immediate confirmation from the local authorities on the presidential candidate's medical status. One person was arrested in connection with the attack on Sunday.

The Colombian President issued an official statement saying the government “categorically and forcefully” rejected the violent attack and said that they have called for an investigation into the matter.

“I don’t know how to ease your pain. It is the pain of a mother lost, and of a wounded homeland,” said Gustavo Petro, the President of Colombia, in a post on the platform X.

Apart from President Petro, Foreign Minister Laura Sarabia also condemned the attack on the candidate and said that she hoped that he is now out of danger.

“Violence can never be the way forward. I strongly condemn the attack against Miguel Uribe,” said Sarabia. “I sincerely hope he is safe and out of danger,” she said.