Key Facts A massive 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia near San José del Palmar. by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau ChiefBOGOTA, Colombia (Worthy News) – A powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia Monday, collapsing buildings, trapping residents beneath rubble, disrupting airports and sending tremors across much of the country and into neighboring Venezuela. Rescue teams were requested from Bogotá and Medellín as authorities assessed damage across western Colombia. A magnitude 6 earthquake releases roughly 32 times the energy of a magnitude 5. A magnitude 7 releases about 1,000 times the energy of a magnitude 5, while a magnitude 8 releases roughly 32,000 times the energy of a magnitude 5.