10/08/2026
Share:
10/08/2026
Share:
BOGOTÁ, Aug 10: At least 47 people were killed and dozens of buildings collapsed across western Colombia on Monday after a powerful earthquake struck the South American nation, trapping residents under rubble and forcing evacuations as far away as Bogotá.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) measured the earthquake at magnitude 7.4, while Colombia’s geological service recorded it at 6.6. The epicenter was near San José del Palmar in Chocó province, about 250 miles (400 km) west of Bogotá, with the USGS placing the quake at a depth of about 107 kilometers.
The earthquake was felt across much of western Colombia and in neighboring Ecuador and Panama, although initial reports indicated limited damage in those countries.
Authorities reported fatalities in several areas, including 18 in Pereira, two in Manizales and 27 in Valle del Cauca, where Colombia’s third-largest city, Cali, is located. Rescue teams and residents searched through collapsed structures for survivors as officials warned of possible aftershocks.
More than 20 municipalities were affected, according to Colombia’s interior minister. Major cities including Pereira, Quibdó, Cali and Manizales reported damage, while emergency crews struggled to reach people trapped beneath debris.
In Cali, a city of around two million people, authorities reported that residents were trapped inside at least 19 collapsed buildings.
In Pereira, local media footage showed sections of the airport ceiling falling as passengers took shelter amid panic. Mayor Mauricio Salazar reported 18 deaths and said people remained trapped beneath large amounts of collapsed debris.
In nearby Manizales, part of the city’s neo-Gothic cathedral was damaged when a tower collapsed onto the nave. Mayor Jorge Eduardo Rojas confirmed two deaths and urged residents to remain outside because of the risk of aftershocks.
Authorities in Chocó, where the earthquake was centered, reported injuries and structural damage but were still assessing the extent of destruction in rural areas.
Colombia’s Geological Service described the earthquake as the strongest recorded in the country in the past decade and reported two aftershocks measuring 2.8 and 4.8.
Flights were temporarily suspended at airports in Manizales, Quibdó, Armenia, Cartago, Buenaventura and Pereira while authorities assessed damage and safety conditions.
The disaster has renewed concerns in the Andean region following two major earthquakes that struck neighboring Venezuela in late June, causing widespread destruction and thousands of deaths.
Earthquakes are relatively common in central and western Colombia, but quakes exceeding magnitude 6 are rare. In 1999, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake near Armenia killed more than 1,100 people.
Newly inaugurated Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella said he had personally taken charge of the government’s response to the disaster in San José del Palmar.
“You are not alone. The state is present and taking action,” he said.
Rescue operations and damage assessments were continuing as authorities worked to reach isolated communities and determine the full scale of casualties and destruction.
