A powerful earthquake struck western Colombia early Monday, killing at least 111 people and injuring dozens more in one of the deadliest disasters to hit the South American country in years.
President Abelardo de la Espriella said the 7.4 magnitude earthquake also destroyed 61 buildings and damaged more than 1,500 homes. The epicenter was in San José del Palmar, a town in the northwestern Chocó department, about 149 miles west of the capital, Bogotá.
The tremor was felt strongly across the city, where sirens sounded, and residents rushed into the streets as a precaution.
Ante la emergencia, el Estado responde: unidos, coordinados y en acción para proteger la vida de los colombianos.
Estoy al frente de la situación. Me duele profundamente lo que están viviendo las familias y las regiones afectadas.
Colombia está unida y saldremos adelante… pic.twitter.com/8bnJFr4Ehv
— Abelardo De La Espriella (@ABDELAESPRIELLA) August 10, 2026
Richard Emblin, director of The City Paper Bogotá, said the earthquake was a jarring start to the week for many Colombians, with the capital’s emergency response system activating almost immediately.
Sirens rang out, and ambulances raced through the streets, he said, while the death toll kept climbing as rescue efforts pushed forward in Cali and other hard-hit cities.
Colombia earthquake that killed dozens triggers national disaster declaration
De la Espriella declared a state of national disaster and ordered soldiers into the worst-affected regions. The earthquake marked one of the first major tests for the new leader, who had taken office just three days earlier.
Julio Fierro Morales, director of the Colombian Geological Service, said the earthquake was the strongest to hit the country in a decade. Two aftershocks followed, measuring 2.8 and 4.8 in magnitude, he said.
A massive 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck Colombia on Monday morning, causing widespread devastation and leaving at least 79 people dead. The powerful tremor collapsed dozens of buildings across the country, severely impacting major cities like Cali, Pereira, and Manizales where… pic.twitter.com/4TrORvW1UG
— The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) August 10, 2026
Colombia sits along a subduction zone, where one tectonic plate slides beneath another, making the region prone to large tremors. He pointed to a similar magnitude 7.2 earthquake that killed dozens in Colombia back in 1979.
The hardest-hit areas included Pereira, in the Risaralda department, where officials reported at least 18 deaths, and Cali, where at least 20 buildings came down.
Part of Cali’s University Hospital also collapsed, trapping several patients under the rubble, according to Valle del Cauca Governor Dilian Francisca Toro. Rescue crews pulled four people from the debris, and seven hospitals in the city were forced to close.
Death toll rises across Colombian regions as airports shut down
In Valle del Cauca, four people, including three children, died when a wall collapsed in the town of Calima El Darién. In Antioquia, a 73-year-old man was killed by a falling rock, according to the region’s governor. Two more deaths were reported in Manizales, where the mayor said several buildings had been partially or fully destroyed.
The earthquake also disrupted air travel, forcing airports in Pereira, Manizales, Quibdó, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura to suspend flights.
The U.S. Geological Survey said more than 2 million people felt very strong shaking from the earthquake. The agency warned that Colombia could face significant casualties, putting the odds at roughly one in three that the death toll could eventually surpass 1,000.
World leaders and aid groups pledge support for Colombia’s recovery
World leaders offered support in the aftermath. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Washington was closely monitoring the situation and stood ready to help.
The presidents of Ecuador and Chile pledged rescue teams and equipment, while chef José Andrés said his relief organization, World Central Kitchen, had mobilized to send emergency food aid to the affected areas.
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