The 1979 Tumaco earthquake occurred at 02:59 local time on 12 December with a moment magnitude of 8.2 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent).

[1] This event was the last of three earthquakes that ruptured adjacent parts of the plate interface, forming a northeastward migrating sequence.

[7] The coast in the epicentral region subsided by up to 1.6 m during the earthquake and the land movement locally disrupted river drainage.

[9] The earthquake caused widespread damage, particularly in Tumaco, where about a tenth of all buildings were destroyed, including 1,280 houses, and 25 people were reported either dead or missing.

[2][7] The fishing village of Charco was almost completely destroyed by the tsunami, the waves washing the houses inland into a nearby lake.

[11] Gómez Tapias, Jorge; Montes Ramírez, Nohora E.; Almanza Meléndez, María F.; Alcárcel Gutiérrez, Fernando A.; Madrid Montoya, César A.; Diederix, Hans (2015).