The earthquake that shook Cúcuta in 1875, also known as the Andes earthquake, occurred on May 18 of that year, with an intensity that ranged between 7.5 and 8.5 on the Richter scale. This phenomenon not only affected Cúcuta, but also caused damage to the state of TachiraIn Venezuela.
Although some sources indicate that the earthquake caused up to 3,000 deaths, reports indicate that in Colombia, specifically in the affected area, 461 fatalities were recorded. As a direct result of the earthquake, sources of hot Springs in the areas that today are known as “Agua Hedionda”, “El Tampaco” and “Aguas Calientes”.
Years later, on January 31, 1906, an 8.8 magnitude earthquake shook the province of Esmeralda, in Ecuador, near the border with Colombia, generating a tsunami that claimed the lives of 1,500 people. According to QMS recordsthe waves, which reached up to five meters high, flooded the Colombian region of Tumaco.
