Colombia earthquake: death toll reaches 132 as rescue teams search collapsed buildings

The earthquake

A 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, 10 August 2026, with the epicenter near San José del Palmar in Chocó province, approximately 400 km west of Bogotá. The quake had a focal depth of about 107 km, according to the US Geological Survey and Colombia's Geological Service. The tremor was felt in Bogotá, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Panama. The USGS estimated that about 1.5 million people experienced "very strong shaking." Colombia's Geological Service described it as the strongest seismic event to hit the country in more than a decade. The quake struck just days after the inauguration of President Abelardo de La Espriella, who was sworn in on Friday in Cali, giving his new government its first crisis.

Rising toll

The death toll climbed steadily through the day. Reuters, citing local authorities, reported at least 77 dead by early evening on Monday. President de La Espriella later announced 111 dead and 87 injured in a national address. By early Tuesday, the toll had reached at least 132 dead and 570 injured, according to the latest available figures. The number of collapsed buildings rose from 61, as reported by the president, to 86 in the latest count from the Colombian Association of Capitals. The president declared a national state of emergency to accelerate rescue operations and mobilize state resources.

Regional breakdown

The province of Risaralda, in Colombia's coffee-growing region, recorded the heaviest losses early on, with Governor Juan Diego Patiño reporting 42 dead in a phone interview with Caracol Television. By the latest count, 60 deaths were reported in Pereira alone, the capital of Risaralda. In Valle del Cauca, Governor Dillian Francisca Toro confirmed 27 dead, including at least three children, speaking to the newspaper El Tiempo. Four deaths were reported in Chocó province, three in the city of Manizales, and one in Antioquia. The full provincial breakdown was available only at the 77-dead stage.

Risaralda42

Valle del Cauca27

Chocó4

Manizales3

Antioquia1

Risaralda

42 dead

Valle del Cauca

27 dead

Chocó

4 dead

Manizales

3 dead

Antioquia

1 dead

Data from the article text

Destruction in cities

Cali, one of Colombia's largest cities, was hit hard. Mayor Alejandro Eder said at least 30 buildings collapsed, with rescue teams operating at 10 of them. Parts of a pediatric and neonatal hospital in Cali collapsed, according to CNN. The city requested additional rescue teams from Bogotá and Medellín. In Pereira, police director Óscar Leonel Ochoa told Radio Caracol that more than 60 or 70 buildings had collapsed. Video published by the Guardian captured a building collapsing in Pereira as people ran to escape. Seven airports in western Colombia suspended operations pending infrastructure inspections, and five departmental capitals were placed on red alert.

On the ground

Residents described scenes of panic and disconnection. Jaime Zuluaga, a 50-year-old resident, told Agence France-Presse that traffic had stopped and people refused to return home for fear of aftershocks. Martha Estrada, 66, said there was no electricity or mobile phone network in the coffee region, adding that the shaking was "very strong" and things fell inside her house.

“There are also many injured and others still trapped under the rubble. The situation is critical.”

President de La Espriella wrote on X that he was traveling to Bogotá to focus on managing the emergency, telling Colombians they were not alone. Soldiers were deployed to assist rescue operations in affected areas. Some regions remained cut off due to road damage, and authorities warned that the toll would continue to rise as search operations proceeded.