A powerful earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday morning, rattling much of the country and sending residents fleeing from buildings in the capital, Bogotá, and other cities. Officials reported significant damage in the western department of Chocó.

The 7.4 magnitude earthquake occurred at 7:34 a.m. local time, according to the United States Geological Survey, with the epicenter about 3 miles east of San José del Palmar, a town of about 5,000 people in Chocó. It lies about 150 miles west of Bogotá, 100 miles south of Medellín and about 100 miles north of Cali.

Shaking could be felt as far as neighboring Venezuela and Ecuador. Videos shared by local media showed partially collapsed buildings in the major Colombian cities of Manizales, Pereira and Cali.

One video showed residents diving to the ground and clutching each other as buildings shook and debris fell in the western city of Manizales.

Nubia Carolina Córdoba-Curi, the governor of Chocó, said on social media that there were injuries and significant damage to buildings in Quibdó, the capital of the region where about 140,000 people live. The governor of neighboring Valle del Cauca said officials were assessing the extent of the destruction in coordination with relief agencies.

On X, Colombia’s new president, Abelardo De La Espriella, said that he had “personally assumed leadership” of the emergency response to the quake. “You are not alone,” he wrote. “The state is present and taking action.”

Mr. De La Espriella, who took office on Friday, said that he had established a unified command post and solicited a detailed situation report from the country’s disaster management agency, to help him assess the most urgent needs.

“I will also be in Pereira in person to stand with those affected and oversee the Government’s response,” he said, referring to a city where damaged has been reported.

The quake comes just weeks after twin temblors of 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude devastated Venezuela, killing more than 6,000 people, overwhelming morgues and leaving tens of thousands displaced with many more missing and likely dead.

Julie Turkewitz contributed reporting from Bogotá.