A 7.4-magnitude earthquake hit Colombia on August 10, 2026, causing great destruction in several cities across the country. Recent reports from local authorities confirm 47 deaths and, in Cali, twenty buildings collapsed, leaving people trapped under the rubble.
Scenes of destruction and the despair of residents are recorded in videos and photos
The epicenter of the tremor was located in San José del Palmar, in western Colombia, at a depth of 110 kilometers, according to the United States Geological Agency (USGS). This location is approximately 230 km from Bogotá and approximately 150 km from Medellín and Cali.
About an hour after the main event, a magnitude 5.0 aftershock was detected at a depth of 100 kilometers.
The country’s Geological Survey reported that this earthquake was the most powerful recorded in Colombia in the last decade.
The governor of Chocó, Nubia Carolina Cordoba-Curi, the most affected state, declared that the earthquake generated “significant destruction” and left people injured, without detailing the exact number. She expressed concern about possible aftershocks and is in the process of assessing the damage.
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Mayor Mauricio Salazar Peláez, of Pereira, confirmed the deaths of 18 people and an undetermined number of injuries, adding that the shock caused “serious damage” in the city.
In Manizales, two victims were recorded, and one of the domes of the Metropolitan Basilica Cathedral suffered considerable damage. An additional video shows the collapse of a building.
The governor of Valle del Cauca reported that 27 people lost their lives as a result of the tremor.
In Cali, Mayor Alejandro Éder reported that at least twenty buildings collapsed due to the intensity of the tremors, and emergency teams were searching for people trapped under the rubble.
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Until the time of the last update, there was no consolidated balance at national level on the total number of deaths, injuries or buildings affected.
The capital Bogotá was also shaken by the earthquake, with warning sirens sounding across the city.
Several videos circulating on digital platforms show the scale of the earthquake’s impact on different cities in Colombia.
Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella has said he is at the forefront of the earthquake response and plans to travel to Pereira to monitor rescue operations. He highlighted that this is the first day of his government.
The Colombian aviation authority confirmed the occurrence of damage at airports located in the cities of Pereira, Manizales, Quibdó, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura.
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The seismic shock was also noticed in neighboring nations such as Ecuador and Venezuela, which had been hit by a double earthquake in June. In Brazil, the tremor was felt in Manaus, in the state of Amazonas.
Seismologists explain that tremors are frequent in Colombia, given its proximity to the edge of a tectonic plate and its inclusion in Latin America’s “Ring of Fire”. However, earthquakes of great intensity, such as the one recorded, are not common.
The United States tsunami warning system has reported that there is no danger of a tsunami as a result of this earthquake.
ESMC, which first identified the quake, had initially reported a magnitude of 7.1, later revised to 6.8 and finally changed to 7.4. The Colombian geological service also confirmed the magnitude of 7.4.