Magnitude 7.4 earthquake shakes western Colombia: Rescue operations continue

Cali – 11 August 2026: Search and rescue operations continue following the magnitude 7.4 earthquake in western Colombia. According to Colombian authorities and consistent reports on Tuesday, at least 111 people were killed. Many more people were injured as emergency crews searched through rubble in several cities and towns. The death toll could rise further because numerous buildings were severely damaged.

The earthquake occurred on Monday, 10 August 2026, at 7:34 a.m. local time and was clearly felt beyond the regions most severely affected. Cali, Pereira, Quibdo and Manizales are among the places where damage was reported. Strong tremors were also reported from the capital, Bogota, as well as from Ecuador and Panama.

Pereira, in Colombia’s coffee-growing region, was particularly hard hit. Local officials there reported numerous deaths and buildings that were completely destroyed. In Cali, the country’s third-largest city, soldiers, firefighters, emergency services personnel and residents worked amid mountains of debris. They passed chunks of concrete and other material in human chains out of damaged homes and commercial buildings.

President Abelardo de la Espriella initially said on Monday that at least 111 people had died, 87 had been injured and around 1,600 buildings had been damaged. This included at least 61 structures that had collapsed completely. Later reports cited higher casualty and damage figures, but authorities had not yet confirmed these figures consistently by Tuesday morning. The situation therefore remains characterized by preliminary assessments.

Medical care in the affected regions is under considerable pressure. In Cali, patients were evacuated from damaged hospital buildings. Del Valle University Hospital and other medical facilities reported disruptions. Cali Mayor Alejandro Eder ordered a special state of alert for hospitals, cancelled non-urgent procedures and deployed security forces in several neighbourhoods.

In addition to searching for people trapped under rubble, authorities are trying to verify missing-person reports and cordon off endangered buildings. Citizens’ initiatives published lists of missing relatives; according to media reports, more than 2,700 people had been reported missing by Monday evening. This figure refers to reports and is not a confirmed number of people actually trapped under rubble.

The earthquake struck Colombia just weeks after severe tremors in neighbouring Venezuela. For emergency crews in western Colombia, recovering people from destroyed buildings is currently the priority. Curfews are in force in Pereira and Cali, intended, according to municipal authorities, to prevent looting and keep rescue routes clear.