August 11, 2026
Colombia is facing the aftermath of one of the most powerful earthquakes in the country’s recent history. On Monday morning, August 10, 2026, a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia, causing widespread destruction, loss of life, injuries and extensive damage across several regions.
According to the Colombian Geological Service (SGC), the earthquake occurred at 7:34 a.m. local time, with its epicenter near San José del Palmar, in the department of Chocó, at a depth of approximately 103 kilometers (64 miles).
The earthquake was strongly felt across a large part of Colombia, including cities such as Pereira, Cali, Manizales, Quibdó, Bogotá and Medellín. Tremors were also reported in neighboring countries.
Several areas of western Colombia have suffered major damage. Homes, apartment buildings, schools, hospitals, churches, roads and other structures have been damaged or destroyed.
Pereira has been among the hardest-hit cities. Rescue teams and emergency personnel have been working through collapsed structures and piles of debris in an effort to locate people who may still be trapped.
Other severely affected areas include parts of Chocó, Valle del Cauca and Caldas, where some communities have faced additional difficulties because of damaged infrastructure, disrupted communications and limited access.
Reports indicate that more than 1,500 buildings have been damaged, with numerous structures suffering partial or complete collapse.
The number of victims continues to change as emergency crews reach more affected areas and search-and-rescue operations continue.
As of August 11, reports have placed the death toll in the hundreds, with thousands of people injured or still unaccounted for. Because rescue teams are continuing to search collapsed buildings and remote communities, the figures remain provisional and may change significantly in the coming hours.
Hundreds of firefighters, police officers, soldiers, medical personnel, rescue specialists and volunteers have been mobilized throughout the affected regions.
In Pereira and other cities, residents have also joined professional rescue teams, helping remove debris and search for survivors.
Why Is This Region of Colombia So Seismically Active?
Colombia is located in one of the most tectonically active regions of South America, where several tectonic plates interact.
One of the main sources of seismic activity in western Colombia is the movement of the Nazca Plate beneath the South American Plate, a geological process known as subduction.
As the plates move against and beneath one another, enormous amounts of energy can accumulate beneath the Earth’s surface. When that energy is suddenly released along faults, it produces an earthquake.
The location and depth of an earthquake can influence how the shaking is experienced at the surface. In this case, the earthquake’s very large magnitude allowed the movement to be felt across a broad area of Colombia.
⚠️ The Emergency Continues
Authorities and emergency organizations continue to assess the damage and search for people who have not yet been located.
Aftershocks have also been reported following the main earthquake, and emergency crews are taking precautions while working around structures that may have been weakened by the initial shock.
The full extent of the disaster is still being assessed. The number of fatalities, injured people and missing persons may change as rescue operations continue and authorities receive information from remote communities.
AJI PICANTE RADIO will continue following this developing story and providing updates as additional information becomes available from Colombian authorities and reliable news sources.