At least 79 dead after powerful earthquake in western Colombia

San Jose del Palmar – 10 August 2026: A powerful earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday. According to local authorities, at least 79 people were killed and many others were injured. Rescue workers searched for people trapped under rubble in several regions. The tremors were also clearly felt in the capital, Bogota, around 400 kilometres away, triggering evacuations there.

According to the Colombian Geological Service, the earthquake reached a magnitude of 7.4. Its epicentre was near San Jose del Palmar in the department of Choco. Although the quake occurred at great depth, it was felt across large parts of Colombia as well as in Ecuador and Panama. Only limited damage was initially reported from the two neighbouring countries.

The departments of Risaralda and Valle del Cauca were particularly hard hit. In Risaralda alone, which includes the city of Pereira, authorities confirmed at least 40 fatalities. In Valle del Cauca, home to the city of Cali with its population of more than one million, at least 27 deaths were recorded, including three children according to the regional government. Authorities also reported further deaths in Choco, Caldas and Antioquia.

In Cali, houses collapsed and numerous other buildings were severely damaged. Mayor Alejandro Eder said that people had been trapped in at least 19 collapsed houses and other structures. Severe damage was also reported in Pereira, Quibdo and Manizales. In Manizales, one tower of the Neo-Gothic cathedral broke off and fell into the nave, according to authorities. Roads were closed so that rescue teams could work and experts could inspect damaged buildings.

The Geological Service described the quake as the strongest earthquake recorded in Colombia in ten years. The main tremor was followed by at least two aftershocks with magnitudes of 2.8 and 4.8. Authorities warned of further tremors and ordered the evacuation of vulnerable buildings. The full extent of the damage could not initially be assessed.

Operations were temporarily suspended at the airports in Manizales, Quibdo, Armenia, Cartago, Buenaventura and Pereira. According to the Interior Ministry, more than 20 municipalities were affected. Relief operations proved particularly difficult in sparsely populated Choco: many places in the rainforest-covered department are barely accessible by land and can only be supplied by boat or aircraft. This geographical isolation complicated both the search for missing people and the transport of medical personnel and relief supplies.