Powerful Earthquake Shakes Western Colombia: At Least 111 Dead

San José del Palmar – 10.08.2026: A powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake shook western Colombia on Monday morning, killing at least 111 people according to the latest reports. According to the Colombian Geological Service, the epicenter was near San José del Palmar in the Department of Chocó. The tremors were felt far beyond the mountainous region, including in Ecuador and Panama.

Pereira and the surrounding Department of Risaralda were particularly hard hit. Local authorities reported at least 40 deaths there. At least 27 fatalities were recorded in the Department of Valle del Cauca, which is also home to the city of Cali, with a population of more than one million. Authorities also reported further deaths in Chocó, Caldas and Antioquia. The death toll may still change as rescue teams search numerous damaged buildings.

In Cali, initial reports said parts of homes and commercial buildings collapsed, facades came loose, and streets were blocked by debris. Authorities also reported severe damage in Pereira, Manizales, Armenia, Buenaventura and Quibdó. Airports in several cities were temporarily closed or flight operations restricted. Electricity, gas and water supplies failed in some areas.

According to media reports, the earthquake occurred at 7:34 a.m. local time and lasted unusually long. The Colombian Geological Service described it as the country’s strongest recorded earthquake in ten years. The main quake was followed by at least two aftershocks, including one with a magnitude of 4.8. This poses an additional risk for people in damaged homes: structures that withstood the initial quake may give way during further tremors.

The National Unit for Disaster Risk Management is coordinating assistance with regional authorities, firefighters and search teams. President Abelardo de la Espriella declared a national disaster, allowing funds for rescue operations, medical care and shelters to be made available more quickly. In San José del Palmar, a remote community with only a few thousand residents, mountainous terrain and limited connections are complicating the situation.

For relatives, it was a day of phone calls, improvised gathering points and searches for missing people. Many people left their homes out of fear of further earthquakes. Authorities urged residents not to re-enter damaged buildings and to heed official warnings. Hospitals in the worst-affected regions are treating the injured; comprehensive figures on the number of injuries are not yet available.

Colombia lies in a tectonically active zone where several tectonic plates meet. But the wide geographic extent of the damage makes this earthquake particularly devastating. While rescue operations continue, experts will have to assess the stability of homes, hospitals, transport routes and public buildings. The confirmed death toll currently stands at at least 111.