At Least 47 Reported Dead After Magnitude-7.4 Earthquake Strikes Western Colombia

At least 47 people were reported dead after a magnitude-7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, August 10, 2026, damaging buildings across several cities and setting off rescue operations for people trapped in rubble.

Colombia’s Geological Service said the earthquake was the strongest recorded in the country in the past decade. The US Geological Survey and its Colombian counterpart placed the epicentre near San José del Palmar in Chocó department, about 400 kilometres west of Bogotá. The US agency reported a depth of about 107 kilometres.

Authorities initially reported at least 20 deaths before officials raised the toll as damage assessments continued. A Guardian live report said the number had reached at least 47 by early Monday evening in Europe. Because rescue and verification work remained under way, the casualty count could change.

Cali Mayor Alejandro Eder said more than two dozen structures had collapsed in the city and that people remained trapped. He said an elderly woman and a young girl had been rescued alive and requested additional disaster-response teams from Bogotá and Medellín.

Damage and deaths were also reported in Pereira, Manizales and Buenaventura. In Manizales, part of the city’s cathedral was damaged, while officials warned residents to remain outside unsafe buildings because of possible aftershocks.

Colombia’s civil aviation authority suspended operations at six western airports serving Pereira, Manizales, Quibdó, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura. The shaking was felt beyond the affected region, including in Ecuador.

President Abelardo de la Espriella said he would personally supervise recovery efforts and establish an emergency centre in San José del Palmar. Emergency crews continued searching damaged buildings and assessing the scale of destruction.