6.9 deep quake hits Colombia Saturday, no injuries reported

BOGOTA, Colombia — A powerful but deep earthquake shook a broad swath of Colombia and Ecuador on Saturday, sending frightened people fleeing into the streets, but no serious injuries or major damage were reported.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the 9:16 a.m. (14:16 GMT) quake had a magnitude of 6.9.It was centered about 7 miles (12 kilometers) from the Colombian town of Pasto and 92 miles (154 kilometers) below the surface.

The quake was felt in the Colombian capital of Bogota, some 340 miles (545 kilometers) to the northeast, and across much of neighboring Ecuador.

In the province of Narino, where the quake hit, secretary of government Jaime Rodriguez said officials had reports of three people hurt when roof tiles fell in the town of El Charco along the Pacific Coast. Officials in Ecuador also reported no significant damage.

Colombian television showed people fleeing into the streets of southwestern cities such as Cali, and small cracks in the walls of some buildings.

Mayor Paulo Cesar Rodriguez of the town of Tuquerres near the epicenter said the quake was "very strong and felt for a long time" but that there were no reports of injuries in the town of 42,300.