Colombia earthquake: 74 dead as buildings collapse, families dig through rubble for loved ones | In Pics, Videos

Published 10 August 2026 · health

The massive 7.4-magnitude earthquake in cities across western Colombia on Monday killed at least 74 people. Several residents are reportedly trapped under debris, leaving more

The massive 7.4-magnitude earthquake in cities across western Colombia on Monday killed at least 74 people. Several residents are reportedly trapped under debris, leaving more injured and forcing people to evacuate their homes as far as the capital of Bogotá. According to the US Geological Survey, the epicentre of the quake was in San Jose Del Palmar, a community of about 4,800 people in the Choco region, about 400 kilometres west of Bogota. View full Image View full Image People look for survivors amid the rubble of a collapsed building after an earthquake in Cali, Colombia on August 10, 2026. A powerful earthquake rocked Colombia and neighboring Latin American countries on August 10, 2026, with medical teams rushing to help victims after buildings were damaged or collapsed in several cities. The Colombian geological service and its American counterpart USGS put the magnitude at 7.4, with an epicenter 100 km (60 miles) underground in the west of the country. Colombia had initially put it at 6.6. (Photo by Joaquin SARMIENTO / AFP) (AFP) The earthquake was also felt in neighbouring Ecuador and Panama, though minimal damage was reported there. According to the Associated Press (AP), citing local officials, at least 18 people had been killed in the city of Pereira, two in the city of Manizales, and 27 people in the Valle de Cauca department, where Colombia's third-biggest city, Cali, is located.

Cities across the west of the country, such as Pereira, Quibdo, Cali and Manizales, were ravaged. A mix of residents and search teams picked through the rubble of collapsed buildings amid concerns by authorities of aftershocks. More than 20 municipalities across the country had been hit, said Colombia's interior minister. View full Image View full Image Women look at a damaged building after an earthquake in Cali, Colombia on August 10, 2026. A powerful earthquake rocked Colombia and other Latin American countries on August 10, 2026, shaking buildings in Bogota and in Quito, Ecuador. The Colombian geological service put the magnitude of the quake at 6.6 while its American counterpart USGS put it at 7.4, with an epicenter 100 km (62 miles) underground in the west of Colombia. It was felt as far away as Panama to the north, and prompted building evacuations in Bogota. (Photo by JOAQUIN SARMIENTO / AFP) (AFP) Colombia's Geological Service said it was “the highest magnitude earthquake registered in Colombia in the last decade”. Monday's quake was followed by two aftershocks, one of magnitude 2.8 and one of magnitude 4.8. The earthquake brought down buildings in Colombia. In Venezuela, desperate families continued to search the ruins for the bodies of their loved ones.