A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, 11 August 2026, killing at least 132 people and causing damage across several cities, including the flattening of military barracks in Cali, according to multiple reports.
7.4 magnitude earthquake strikes western Colombia, killing at least 132
A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, 11 August 2026, killing at least 132 people and causing damage across several cities, including the flattening of military barracks in Cali, according to multiple reports.
Colombia's Geological Service described the event as the strongest earthquake to hit the country in the 21st century, according to BBC News.
Video footage circulated showing soldiers running from buildings at a military base in Cali as the quake struck, according to Al Jazeera, which also reported evacuations and widespread damage across several cities.
A resident, Liliana Pérez Ocampo, told the BBC World Service that she and her family fled their home moments before it was severely shaken. She described the quake as initially seeming like a mild tremor before intensifying beyond 30 seconds of shaking. Her family, including two young children who were at school at the time, are reported safe.
Pérez Ocampo was quoted by BBC News as saying: 'In the end, material things can be replaced. The most important thing is life, and we have that.'
- The precise epicentre and depth of the earthquake are not established by either source.
- The total number of injured or displaced persons is not reported.
- The extent of structural damage beyond the military barracks in Cali is not detailed.
- Whether a tsunami warning was issued is not addressed.
- Official government response or declared emergency status is not mentioned.
- The condition of the military personnel at the flattened barracks in Cali is not reported.
- No comment from Colombian authorities or emergency services is included in either source.
- BBC News — original — by @BBCNews
- Al Jazeera English