Colombia intensifies search for missing people a week after 7.4 earthquake
Rescue teams and volunteers continue search operations for survivors in Colombia on August 17, 2026, a week after a powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake devastated cities and towns in the west of the country. The tragedy has already claimed the lives of more than 280 people, leaving thousands injured and homeless, while the hope of finding more lives gradually diminishes.
Tragedy in Colombia leaves more than 280 dead and thousands affected
The powerful tremor measuring 7.4 on the Richter scale hit the San José del Palmar region on the morning of August 10, 2026. The damage was extensive, affecting a vast area stretching from the port of Buenaventura, on the Pacific coast, to the traditional coffee growing region and important urban centers such as Cali and Pereira.
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- More than 280 confirmed deaths.
- Around 140 people are still missing.
- Approximately 4,200 individuals were injured.
- Thousands of people are homeless.
- More than two-thirds of the fatalities are concentrated in the cities of Cali and Pereira, where residential buildings, houses, churches, schools and hospitals were severely damaged or completely destroyed.
Rescue efforts in Cali turn to recovering bodies
In the city of Cali, Colombia’s third largest, emergency teams persisted in searching through unstable piles of concrete and twisted metal. However, the focus of work has increasingly shifted from the search for survivors to the recovery of bodies, reflecting the harsh reality of a week after the disaster.
Learn more: Update on the earthquake in Colombia: 254 dead and 3,000 missing in updated report
Captain Alberto Hernandez, of the Cali Fire Department, expressed the seriousness of the situation. “Unfortunately, there are no signs of life,” he said. “Miracles can happen, but honestly — as a believer and based on what we’ve seen — there’s no indication that anyone is still alive.”
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Persistent risks to rescuers from aftershocks
Even more challenging, aftershocks continue to increase the danger for workers in affected neighborhoods and for residents who are unable to return to their homes. These additional shocks require extreme care and a rigorous methodology in operations.
“The work needs to be done with great care and method… so that we don’t put the first responders or community members who are helping on site at greater risk,” added Captain Hernandez, highlighting the complexity and dangerousness of the work environment.
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Wide mobilization of aid and donations for reconstruction
As the chances of finding survivors diminish, the relief operation expands to provide humanitarian support and plan for reconstruction. In the capital Bogotá, a stadium was converted into the country’s largest donation collection center, receiving essential supplies for victims. In Pereira, authorities are dedicated to treating injured pets and distributing donated food to the population.
The human impact of the tragedy is immense, as reported by Claudia Galeano, 53, who lost her home in Pereira. His father, Arnulfo Galeano, was rescued alive from the rubble, but died in hospital. “Horrible, it’s devastating,” Claudia said. “The earthquake took my father from me, but there are people in a worse situation than me, abandoned on the street, without family, without anything.”
The challenge of new president Abelardo de la Espriella in the midst of the crisis
The earthquake represents the first major crisis to be faced by President Abelardo de la Espriella, who took office just days before the disaster. The task of overseeing the immediate relief, and then the vast reconstruction, falls on his shoulders.
President De la Espriella announced on August 16, 2026 that Colombian billionaire banker Jaime Gilinski, who also controls the food company Nutresa, will donate 150 billion Colombian pesos (equivalent to US$47.75 million) to rebuild hospitals and schools in Cali, Gilinski’s hometown. The Santo Domingo family, controller of a vast media empire in the country, had already promised US$32 million on August 14, 2026, demonstrating the mobilization of great fortunes to help the country.
