At least 181 people were killed and 1,595 injured after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake — described as the strongest on record in Colombia — struck cities across the country's western region shortly after 7:30 a.m. local time on Monday, August 10, 2026, according to President Abelardo de la Espriella, who also reported 195 people missing and declared a state of emergency.
Colombia earthquake kills at least 181, injures nearly 1,600 in country's strongest tremor on record
At least 181 people were killed and 1,595 injured after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake — described as the strongest on record in Colombia — struck cities across the country's western region shortly after 7:30 a.m. local time on Monday, August 10, 2026, according to President Abelardo de la Espriella, who also reported 195 people missing and declared a state of emergency.
Civilian-run databases place the number of missing as high as 3,900, according to the article, with many families posting information about missing relatives online. The official figure from de la Espriella stood at 195 missing.
More than 1,100 homes were destroyed and over 8,300 damaged across Colombia, the president said. Rescue workers and volunteers were observed clearing rubble by hand in some locations.
The hardest-hit city was Pereira, which has a population of more than half a million. Electricity was largely knocked out there, and many residents spent the night sleeping on streets either from fear of aftershocks or because their homes had sustained damage. Volunteers searched through the night using torches on blacked-out streets.
Volunteers in Pereira searched the remains of a six-story building containing shops and offices where two girls were reportedly believed to be trapped.
Videos from Pereira's airport reportedly showed ceiling sections falling on travelers who had taken shelter, with people running through rubble.
In the city of Cali, rescue workers formed human chains to remove bricks and masonry, pausing periodically to listen for signs of life. One participant, Andres Felipe Mejia, said rescuers asked anyone trapped to whistle and received a response; a man and a baby were subsequently pulled from a collapsed building, though a third person reportedly remained trapped.
Hospitals in five Colombian cities were placed on red alert Monday, and a nighttime curfew was declared in Cali, according to local authorities cited in the article.
The earthquake's epicenter was reported near San Jose Del Palmar, with the rural area of El Cairo described as not far from that location.
De la Espriella, who had been in office for three days at the time of the quake, said he had mobilized the military and police to respond.
The Vatican said Pope Leo XIV was 'deeply saddened' by the earthquake, with a statement from the Vatican's secretary of state, Pietro Parolin, directed to the archbishop of Cartagena.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted on social media that the administration was monitoring the situation and stood ready to support Colombia. The U.S. announced $15.5 million in emergency relief.
European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen said the EU had mobilized its Copernicus satellite service to assist rescue operations. Israel, Mexico, Ecuador, and France also offered assistance, according to the article.
- The source does not establish the final or confirmed death toll, as figures were still being updated at time of publication.
- The source does not confirm how many people were actually trapped in the six-story Pereira building or whether they were rescued.
- The source does not specify what form the announced U.S. emergency relief will take or when it will be delivered.
- The source does not clarify the methodology or reliability of the civilian-run databases reporting up to 3,900 missing.
- The source does not state the depth or precise fault responsible for the earthquake.
- The source does not report the number or magnitude of aftershocks following the main quake.
- The source does not detail what specific assistance Israel, Mexico, Ecuador, and France offered.
- The source does not identify which South Florida or U.S.-based humanitarian organizations were mobilizing aid beyond a general reference.
- The source does not establish whether the two girls reportedly trapped in the Pereira building were found alive or dead.
- The source does not name the contributor referenced at the end of the article.