– COLOMBIA
A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia early on Monday, August 10, 2026, at 7:34 a.m. local time. The epicenter was located near the town of San José del Palmar, in the Chocó region, approximately 400 kilometers west of the capital, Bogotá. Seismological agencies recorded the quake at a depth of about 107 kilometers. Authorities described it as the strongest earthquake to hit Colombia in the last decade. The tremor was intense and widespread, it was felt across much of the country, including Bogotá, and was even perceived in neighboring Venezuela, Ecuador, and Panama. No tsunami warning was issued following the event.
Widespread structural damage occurred in several cities and their surrounding areas. In Cali, Colombia's third-largest city, local authorities reported the collapse of at least twenty buildings, trapping people under the rubble and necessitating emergency assistance from other major cities. Pereira, a key city in the coffee-growing region, also suffered severe destruction, with multiple buildings partially or totally collapsing. Manizales and Quibdó experienced similar impacts, including damage to homes, public facilities, and infrastructure. Several airports in the affected area suspended regular flights while safety inspections were conducted, and roads, bridges, schools, and health centers sustained considerable damage.
By Monday afternoon, the President of Colombia confirmed the deaths of at least 111 people and injuries to dozens more, casualty figures continued to rise as rescue teams carried out their work. Initially, local reports placed the death toll at around twenty, but the number grew progressively as information was gathered from Risaralda, Valle del Cauca, Chocó, and other departments. Children were among the victims in some areas. Search and rescue operations continued throughout the afternoon and night; some survivors had already been pulled from collapsed structures in Cali and other severely affected localities.
The national government declared a state of disaster to expedite the emergency response. Priorities focused on rescuing those still trapped, providing medical care, and assessing the full extent of the destruction across more than twenty municipalities. The main earthquake was followed by aftershocks including lower-magnitude events that forced residents to remain cautious. Authorities urged the public to stay alert and avoid damaged buildings as recovery efforts intensified.
This earthquake marks the first major emergency facing Colombia's newly installed presidential administration, which had taken office just days earlier. It also comes less than two months after powerful earthquakes caused numerous fatalities in neighboring Venezuela. Emergency services continue working to locate survivors, treat the injured, and begin the recovery process as more precise assessments of the overall impact become available.