ABSTRACT

Rescue crews in Colombia worked through a third consecutive night on Wednesday and into Thursday, August 13, 2026, searching for survivors beneath collapsed buildings following a magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck the country's western region on Monday, August 10. The death toll stood at 265, with more than 3,500 people injured, according to President Abelardo de la Espriella, who declared an economic emergency and three days of national mourning. The hardest-hit urban areas included Cali, Pereira, Manizales, and Quibdó.

CBS News

Colombia earthquake death toll reaches 265 as rescue operations enter final phase

Aug 12, 2026, 8:22 PM

Context

The earthquake, described across sources as the strongest to hit Colombia this century, struck near San Jose del Palmar in the northwestern Chocó region on Monday morning. According to Deutsche Welle, Colombia's geological service recorded 130 aftershocks in the days that followed.

Cali Mayor Alejandro Eder said on Wednesday that rescue efforts were entering their final phase, cautioning that while survivors could still be found after 72 hours, 'it is more difficult.' He also told reporters that teams were still detecting signs of life beneath debris and urged speed: 'The next 20 hours are the most critical to find and rescue people alive,' and 'Every minute is vital.'

Volunteer rescuer Johana Sanchez told AFP that crews paused every 30 minutes to listen for survivors. 'So far, three people have been pulled out alive and three dead,' she said. Separately, according to CBS News, rescuers in Pereira pulled 32-year-old Daniela Largo alive from the rubble late Tuesday after a 12-hour operation in which crews carved a small opening in the debris and a doctor administered IV fluids to stabilise her.

In Pereira, rescuers focused on a collapsed bakery where a street vendor, Pablo Loaiza, was believed to still be trapped. Using vibration-detecting equipment, crews said they had picked up possible signs of life. Relatives said the trapped man appeared to respond when asked to knock twice, then three times, from beneath the rubble. 'They tell us it could be him,' said his 16-year-old niece, Sara Loaiza. 'My heart is about to burst out of my chest.'

Cali resident Martha Perez told AFP she felt 'helpless' as two relatives were thought to be trapped under rubble. 'We will hold on to hope until the very end,' she said. Volunteer rescuer Daiana Rojas, 25, who told the Associated Press she had escaped the quake unharmed, said she had been hearing sounds since 2:30 a.m. and remained hopeful. 'There might be two more people alive here,' she said.

President de la Espriella said nearly 500 people remain missing and that more than 25,800 families have been affected. Civilian-run databases, however, put the number of missing considerably higher: CBS News and Deutsche Welle both reported a figure of more than 4,100, while The Independent cited over 4,200.

On the number of destroyed homes, sources differed: Al Jazeera reported more than 9,550 homes destroyed, while CBS News, France 24, and The Straits Times cited official figures of more than 11,000 dwellings destroyed. Deutsche Welle reported that 140 buildings collapsed entirely.

Al Jazeera reported that Pereira recorded 83 deaths and Cali 74, making them the two cities with the highest individual death tolls reported. At the Torres del Limonar complex in southern Cali, residents, soldiers, and municipal employees formed bucket brigades passing rubble by hand. According to CBS News, a fire department official from Bogotá noted that rescue efforts became more organised after police began restricting the number of volunteers on site, reducing noise and vibrations and allowing sensors to better detect movement.

De la Espriella, who was inaugurated just three days before the earthquake struck, promised to establish an emergency fund to rebuild hospitals, schools, homes, and infrastructure. 'This is undoubtedly a tragedy of immense proportions,' he said. 'Our efforts are focused on those who remain missing.' He did not specify what the economic emergency measures would entail.

According to Deutsche Welle and Al Jazeera, analyst Tiziano Breda of the conflict-monitoring group ACLED noted that de la Espriella had campaigned on a platform of cutting public finances, including reducing funding to the state's risk management unit — the same unit now leading the emergency response.

Thousands of displaced residents have been sheltering in parks, schools, sports arenas, and emergency tents. In the mountain town of El Cairo, power outages persisted and residents gathered at community kitchens, with many reluctant to return home. 'People don't want to go inside their homes, people don't want to sleep, people don't know what to do,' resident Adriana Gonzalez told AFP.

In Palmira, Santiago Lloreda told Reuters the quake killed his mother and his 13-month-old daughter, Salma, who would need to be identified through DNA testing due to her age. A man identified only as Ricardo told Reuters he had traveled from Miami to recover his sister's body, and that his niece was awaiting surgery for a fractured skull, jaw and leg, and a collapsed lung.

The earthquake's epicentre in Chocó, described as a remote and impoverished region already strained by decades of conflict and displacement, presented particular challenges. Lost cell service made it difficult to assess damage in communities accessible only by river, according to multiple sources. Giovanni Rizzo, Colombia director for the Norwegian Refugee Council, said: 'This earthquake compounds an already severe humanitarian situation, and there is a need for increased support for the humanitarian response.'

UN resident coordinator María José Torres said that aid groups already working in the Chocó region on an earlier peace effort were able to quickly pivot to disaster relief. According to CBS News, seismologist Rodrigo León Loya of the University of the Andes said the probability of a quake of similar magnitude occurring in the same area is low, but did not rule out further seismic activity, noting that Colombia has many active fault lines.

International assistance began arriving during the week. The United States announced $15.5 million in emergency aid, according to CBS News, while Deutsche Welle cited a figure of more than $15 million and noted that US response teams were also sent. The European Union pledged 2 million euros (approximately $2.3 million), according to CBS News. Deutsche Welle reported that Mexico sent military aircraft carrying nearly 20 tons of food along with security personnel, with additional aid and rescue specialists on standby; El Salvador's president offered two planes carrying 100 tons of supplies; and a search-and-rescue team from Mexico arrived directly from Venezuela, which had faced its own major earthquakes in June.

Many Colombians mobilised voluntarily, bringing water, food, and supplies to affected areas, while long lines formed at blood donation centres. 'It's about wanting to help your community, your city and your country,' said blood donor Ferney Cabrera.

All Perspectives

President Abelardo de la Espriella: De la Espriella declared an economic emergency and three days of national mourning, vowing to 'do what is necessary' and to 'emerge again as a country and as a society.' He said 'Our efforts are focused on the disappeared' and 'This is undoubtedly a tragedy of immense proportions.' He promised an emergency fund to rebuild hospitals, schools, homes and infrastructure, though he did not specify what the economic emergency measures would entail.

Cali Mayor Alejandro Eder: Eder told reporters on Wednesday that rescue efforts were 'entering the final phase,' adding: 'That doesn't mean there won't be survivors afterwards, but it is more difficult.' He said crews were still detecting signs of life and emphasised urgency: 'The next 20 hours are the most critical to find and rescue people alive. Every minute is vital.'

Volunteer rescuer Daiana Rojas: Rojas, 25, who escaped the quake unharmed and began volunteering in Cali, told the Associated Press: 'There might be two more people alive here, and I'm hopeful. We have been hearing sounds since 2:30 a.m., so our hope remains.' She described the emotional toll: 'I thought that was going to be my last moment alive. Seeing this situation in my city breaks my heart.' She said that whenever rescuers called for silence, everyone complied, and that 'when signs of life are found, all the teams start to applaud.'

Volunteer rescuer Johana Sanchez: Sanchez told AFP that crews paused every half hour to listen for survivors. 'So far, three people have been pulled out alive and three dead,' she said.

Volunteer rescuer Fernando Loaiza: Loaiza told AFP: 'All of us here — the entire city of Cali — are hoping to find more survivors.'

Sara Loaiza (niece of trapped man Pablo Loaiza): The 16-year-old told AFP: 'They tell us it could be him. My heart is about to burst out of my chest.' Relatives said Pablo Loaiza appeared to respond to rescuers' requests to knock from beneath the rubble.

Cali resident Martha Perez: Perez told AFP she felt 'helpless' as two relatives were thought to be trapped. 'We will hold on to hope until the very end,' she said.

Lawyer Ana Paulina Crosthwaite (displaced Pereira resident): Crosthwaite told AFP: 'We're in a state of shock. We're not prepared to tell our children that we have to pack whatever we can and start a new life.'

Yuliana Mendez (Roldanillo business owner): Mendez, picking through the wreckage of the beauty products store where she worked, told AFP: 'It's like starting over from scratch.'

Adriana Gonzalez (El Cairo resident): Gonzalez told AFP: 'People don't want to go inside their homes, people don't want to sleep, people don't know what to do.'

Blood donor Ferney Cabrera: Cabrera explained his motivation for donating blood: 'It's about wanting to help your community, your city and your country.'

Santiago Lloreda (Palmira resident): Lloreda told Reuters the quake killed his mother and his 13-month-old daughter, Salma, who would need to be identified through DNA testing. He described his mother as the family's caretaker who 'gave everything up to look after the baby.'

Ricardo (Palmira man, surname not given): Ricardo told Reuters he had traveled from Miami to recover his sister's body, and said of his niece, who was awaiting surgery for a fractured skull, jaw and leg, and a collapsed lung: 'She's alive. We know she's going to get better.'

Craig De Meillon (search-and-rescue volunteer, Miami): De Meillon told CBS News of the moment Daniela Largo was freed from the rubble: 'It was kind of like a football moment, when everyone is like shaking hands, like, Yes, yes!'

Edith Penagos (displaced Pereira resident): Penagos, 48, staying with her teenage son in a tent in a Pereira park, told CBS News: 'We have the most important things: a roof over our heads, food, water and, in my case, medical care.'

Giovanni Rizzo (Norwegian Refugee Council, Colombia director): Rizzo said: 'This earthquake compounds an already severe humanitarian situation, and there is a need for increased support for the humanitarian response.'

María José Torres (UN resident coordinator in Colombia): Torres said that aid groups already present in the Chocó region were able to quickly pivot to disaster relief, noting the advantage of existing ground presence.

Tiziano Breda (ACLED analyst): Breda told AFP and Reuters that the earthquake would serve as 'the first test for the new Colombian president,' and noted that de la Espriella had campaigned in part on cutting funding to the state's risk management unit — the same unit now leading the emergency response.

Rodrigo León Loya (seismologist, University of the Andes): Loya told CBS News that the probability of an earthquake of similar magnitude in the same area is low but cannot be ruled out. 'Let's remember that Colombia is full of active fault lines,' he said. 'The question isn't whether it can happen again. The question is rather when an earthquake of similar magnitude will occur at another of Colombia's seismic sources.'

Where sources differ

Number of missing persons: President de la Espriella cited nearly 500 missing; civilian-run databases cited by CBS News and Deutsche Welle put the figure at more than 4,100, while The Independent cited over 4,200.
Number of homes destroyed: Al Jazeera reported more than 9,550 homes destroyed; CBS News, France 24, and The Straits Times cited official figures of more than 11,000 dwellings destroyed.
US aid figure: CBS News reported $15.5 million; Deutsche Welle reported 'more than $15 million.'

Gaps & Unknowns

The full extent of damage in the Chocó epicentre region remains unknown due to lost cell service and the remoteness of communities accessible only by river.
No source confirms whether Pablo Loaiza was ultimately rescued alive from the collapsed Pereira bakery.
No source confirms the final outcome of the search for survivors described as being heard by rescuer Daiana Rojas.
The specific measures that will be enacted under the declared economic emergency have not been detailed by President de la Espriella in any source.
The Colombian government has not been quoted responding directly to analyst Tiziano Breda's observation about the president's prior platform to defund the disaster-response agency.
The total number of people rescued alive across all affected areas is not established; figures given relate only to individual rescue sites.
The condition of Daniela Largo after her rescue from Pereira rubble is not followed up in any source.
No source provides an independent assessment of the structural and regulatory factors that may have contributed to building collapses.
The precise scope and timeline of international aid deployment beyond pledged amounts is not detailed.

Sources & Further Reading

The Independent — original — by Y. Astrid Suárez
CBS News
Deutsche Welle — by Seerat Chabba
Euronews — by Alexis Caraco
Africanews — by AfricaNews
Al Jazeera English — by Al Jazeera Staff
France 24 — by FRANCE 24
CBS News
The Straits Times — by The Straits Times

Read the original at The Independent

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