7.0 magnitude quake in Colombia: USGS

Quito, Feb 9 (AFP) A 7.0 magnitude quake shook southern Colombia today and was felt as far away as Quito, Ecuador, authorities said. The quake, occurring at a depth of 129 kilometers at 1416 GMT, was located 11 kilometers southwest of Pasto, Colombia, a city of 400,000 people at the foot of the Galeras volcano, according to the US Geological Survey. The quake was felt in neighboring Ecuador, where firefighters in Quito urged residents to remain calm and take necessary precautions, in a message on its Twitter account. The quake was situated 199 kilometers northeast of Quito and 168 kilometers southwest of the Colombian city of Popayan, the USGS said. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii said the event did not generate a destructive tsunami. "A destructive Pacific-wide tsunami is not expected, and there is no tsunami threat to Hawaii." (AFP) ZH 02092106 NNNN