An international delegation from ZAKA, the Israeli disaster-response organization, is working across several Colombian cities following a magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck the country's coastal Chocó province on Monday, killing at least 250 people, according to the article published August 13, 2026.
ZAKA delegation deploys to Colombia after 7.4 magnitude earthquake kills at least 250
An international delegation from ZAKA, the Israeli disaster-response organization, is working across several Colombian cities following a magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck the country's coastal Chocó province on Monday, killing at least 250 people, according to the article published August 13, 2026.
The earthquake struck at a depth of 79 km, with its epicenter near San José del Palmar, according to the geological service. Shortly after the initial tremor, the geological service reported an additional magnitude 4.8 seismic incident in the same region.
The ZAKA delegation includes search and rescue personnel, doctors, engineers, and experts in preserving the dignity of the dead. The team has arrived in Cali, Pereira, and Chocó, as well as other affected locations, and is working alongside local rescue teams.
In addition to search and rescue operations, ZAKA established a temporary clinic at one of the destruction sites to provide medical care, medications, and initial treatment under field conditions.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a Wednesday statement that an additional humanitarian delegation from Israel is expected to depart for Colombia in the coming days, following a request for aid from Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella. ZAKA volunteers already on the ground are expected to join that delegation and operate alongside it, according to needs on the ground and the instructions of local rescue authorities.
- The source does not state the total number of ZAKA personnel in the delegation.
- The source does not state the current number of people treated at the temporary clinic.
- The source does not state the size or composition of the additional Israeli humanitarian delegation expected to depart in the coming days.
- The source does not provide a statement or comment from Colombian authorities regarding the ZAKA deployment or the broader international response.
- The source does not state the total death toll beyond 'at least 250' or provide figures for injuries or missing persons.
- The source does not identify which geological service is cited for the earthquake depth, epicenter location, and aftershock data.
Read the original at The Jerusalem Post