US warns Americans to avoid vacation hot spot amid quake fallout and violent crime
Americans who may be weighing a trip to a South American country are confronting fresh safety concerns after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck the western part of Colombia Aug.
10, killing at least 289 people and leaving more than 26,000 homes destroyed, as The Associated Press (AP) reported.
The quake was centered in Chocó.
Communities there are continuing to recover from widespread damage, according to the AP.
The deadly earthquake adds another concern for travelers as Colombia remains under a Level 3 "Reconsider Travel" advisory from the U.S.
State Department because of crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping and natural disasters.
Several regions carry the more severe Level 4 designation, per the State Department.
AMERICANS WARNED POPULAR TRAVEL ROUTES THIS SUMMER COULD CARRY CRIME AND KIDNAPPING RISKS U.S. officials have also cautioned that foreign visitors can be targeted by criminals, including schemes involving drugs used to incapacitate victims before robberies or assaults.
The epicenter of the earthquake was near San José del Palmar in Chocó, along Colombia's Pacific coast and roughly 250 miles west of the capital city of Bogotá, according to the AP.
Footage obtained by Fox News Digital shows the aftermath of the earthquake in Pereira, with furniture overturned and household belongings scattered across floors in one house.
Nearly 1.2 million visitors from the United States traveled to Colombia in 2024, according to the country's Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism.
CRUISE DIRECTOR WARNS OVERNIGHT HOTEL STAYS COULD LEAVE PASSENGERS STRANDED ABROAD American travelers frequently visit destinations including Cartagena on the Caribbean coast , as well as Medellín and Bogotá.
Though the earthquake struck outside the major tourist hubs , travelers may still need to consider conditions in affected areas when planning transportation and itineraries.
Fox News Digital reached out to the State Department for additional information.
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