Colombia earthquake kills 79 as strongest quake in a decade wrecks west

Bogota,UPDATED: Aug 10, 2026 23:48 IST

At least 79 people were killed after a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, bringing down buildings, trapping residents under debris and forcing evacuations across a large part of the country, including the capital Bogota. The quake was also felt in neighbouring Ecuador and Panama, though only minimal damage was reported there.

Authorities said the earthquake was the strongest recorded in Colombia in the past decade. It hit near San Jose del Palmar in the Choco region, about 400 kilometres west of Bogota, at a depth of 107 kilometres, according to the US Geological Survey and Colombia's geological authorities. Search teams and residents were combing through rubble in several cities amid fears of aftershocks.

Local officials said at least 40 people were killed in the Risaralda region, where the badly hit city of Pereira is located, and 27 in Valle del Cauca, home to Colombia's third-largest city, Cali. The governor said at least three of those killed in Valle del Cauca were children. Authorities also confirmed nine deaths in Choco, two in Caldas and one 73-year-old person in Antioquia. Many more people were injured across the country.

Cities across western Colombia, including Pereira, Quibdo, Cali and Manizales, were badly affected. Colombia's interior minister said more than 20 municipalities had been hit. In Pereira, local media showed pieces of an airport ceiling falling on travellers who were taking shelter and screaming, while others were seen running through rubble in panic. Pereira Mayor Mauricio Salazar told a local radio station that at least 18 people had died and that many more were trapped under "a massive quantity of collapsed buildings".

In Cali, Mayor Alejandro Eder said residents were trapped in at least 19 collapsed buildings. Jorge Moncayo, a 64-year-old taxi driver in the city, said he saw plumes of dust rising as buildings came down. "My entire house shook. I've never lived through such a powerful earthquake," he said. "We're thanking God we're alive." In nearby Manizales, one of the towers of the neo-Gothic cathedral collapsed on to the nave, and Mayor Jorge Eduardo Rojas urged residents to remain outside because of the risk of aftershocks.

Authorities in Choco, the rural region at the epicentre, reported injured people and damaged buildings in the capital but gave few details. The Pacific region around the epicentre lies along the Ring of Fire, the belt of seismic faults around the Pacific Ocean where most of the world's earthquakes occur. Much of Choco is poor, remote and covered in dense jungle, and many areas can be reached only by boat or plane, which could make it harder for authorities to assess the full scale of the damage. Colombia's Geological Service said the quake was followed by aftershocks of magnitude 2.8 and 4.8. Authorities also said flights were suspended at the airports in Manizales, Quibdo, Armenia, Cartago, Buenaventura and Pereira.

Small earthquakes, known locally as temblores, are common in central and western Colombia, though quakes above magnitude 6.0 are rare. In 1999, a 6.2-magnitude quake near Armenia killed more than 1,100 people. President Abelardo de la Espriella said he had personally taken charge of the government's response in San Jose del Palmar. "You are not alone. The state is present and taking action," he said. Messages of support came from leaders across the Americas. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on X, "The Trump administration is closely monitoring the large earthquake that struck Colombia and stands ready to support the people of Colombia." UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said, "We stand ready to help as needed." As rescue work continued, authorities were still trying to assess the full toll of one of Colombia's strongest earthquakes in years.

With PTI Inputs

- Ends