BOGOTA (AFP) - A 5.7-magnitude earthquake hit central Colombia on Monday (Feb 6), shaking large cities including the capital Bogota, officials said, indicating there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

The quake struck at 8.02am local time (9.02pm Singapore), with its epicentre five kilometres south-east of a town also named Colombia, in the central region of Huila, said the Colombian Geological Service.

Schools and offices were evacuated in Bogota, a city of seven million people. Residents reported scenes of panic in other cities where the quake was felt, including Cali, the country's third-largest.

"No reports of damages after earthquake in Colombia. We remain watchful for further reports," President Juan Manuel Santos said on Twitter.

The US Geological Survey put the magnitude at 5.6 and said the quake struck at a depth of 37.3 kilometres.