Colombia Earthquake Latest: Death toll tops 250, over 3,900 missing as President declares emergency - What we know

Published 12 August 2026 · politics

Massive search-and-rescue operations continued across western Colombia, with teams combing through collapsed apartment blocks and office buildings for survivors after the country’s strongest earthquake in

Massive search-and-rescue operations continued across western Colombia, with teams combing through collapsed apartment blocks and office buildings for survivors after the country’s strongest earthquake in a century killed at least 250 people and left many others homeless, news agencies reported. In Pereira and Cali, families slept in parks as aftershocks of Monday's earthquake rattled damaged neighborhoods where entire blocks had been reduced to rubble, according to Reuters. Also Read | Colombia Coffee Exports Largely Halted After Deadly Earthquake Separate reports from affected cities put the death toll at 254 on Tuesday, with 101 people killed in Pereira, the Arabica coffee producing hub, and 95 in Cali, the country's third-biggest city, news agency Reuters said. More than 3,900 are missing as rescue operations picked pace. The 7.4-magnitude quake injured more than 2,600 people, according to a tally by municipal authorities. View full Image View full Image A rescuer raises his fists to signal for silence while searching for victims beneath the rubble at the site of a damaged building following an earthquake, in Pereira, Colombia, August 11, 2026. REUTERS/Luisa Gonzalez TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY (REUTERS) As many as 1600 buildings across the affected region have damaged, while nearly 5,000 homes have bore the brunt of the earthquake. Economic Emergency The Colombia’s government has declared an economic emergency to bolster its earthquake response, as the country’s new president faced a tough and early test of his abilities to handle a crisis. The emergency order gives President Abelardo de la Espriella, who began his four-year term on Friday, temporary authority to issue economic and tax decrees without the need for congressional approval. "The national government is maintaining all its capacities deployed to protect lives, assist affected communities and deliver aid to every area that needs it," President Abelardo de la Espriella was quoted sayin in Bogota. The earthquake is likely to amplify the nation’s fiscal strains, complicating De la Espriella’s efforts to deliver on promises to curb rising budget deficits with an ambitious austerity drive.

Volunteers form human chains With roads, electricity, water, healthcare and communications being disrupted, it has become difficult for rescue teams to reach communities in the impoverished and difficult-to-access region. Also, emergency crews used cranes, dogs and heavy machinery to search ruined buildings, international news agencies reported. Also Read | Colombia Coffee Exports Largely Halted After Deadly Earthquake The ongoing rescue effort are Colombia's largest disaster responses in years. The quake's epicenter was in Colombia's coastal Choco region at a depth of 100 kilometers. Authorities in the impoverished area reported 12 deaths. The nearby city of Pereira was one of the worst-hit areas, with local authorities earlier announcing that at least 40 people had died in the Risaralda region of which it is the provincial capital. In Cali, residents armed with picks, shovels and their bare hands joined firefighters in digging through collapsed buildings, Reuters reported. In Pereira, army units and sniffer dogs combed through twisted concrete and exposed steel. ‘We lost everything’ While some families waited for news of missing relatives, others were grappling with the loss of homes, possessions and livelihoods. "We lost everything," said Stella Galvis, fighting back tears after escaping the collapse of her home. "We survived by a miracle, since I managed to get my little boy out and my partner managed to get out too." On one mound of debris, a young couple climbed over broken masonry searching for belongings, Reuters reported. They recovered a box from inside a child's bright red bedside table, the report said Many survivors spent the night outdoors, either because their homes were damaged or because they feared aftershocks. Others struggled to come to terms with losing homes built over decades. “You buy a little house with so much effort, spending 40, 50 years struggling to get yourself that house, you finally get it and in just a few days it all goes down the drain,” 79-year-old Jaime Alzate told Reuters.