A peaceful Monday morning turned into a national tragedy when violent shaking swept across western Colombia, bringing buildings to the ground and sending frightened residents running into streets filled with dust and debris.
The earthquake struck near San José del Palmar in the Chocó department. The United States Geological Survey measured it at magnitude 7.4 and placed its depth at approximately 107 kilometres. Despite originating deep underground, the tremor was powerful enough to be felt across much of Colombia, including Bogotá, Cali, Pereira and Manizales. Latest verified earthquake report
At least 111 people had been confirmed dead by the afternoon, while 87 others were reported injured. Authorities warned that the casualty figures could rise because an unknown number of residents remained trapped inside damaged homes, businesses and other structures.
Some of the most serious destruction was reported in the western coffee-growing region and in Cali, one of Colombia’s largest cities. Residents joined emergency workers in moving broken masonry by hand as professional rescue teams searched unstable buildings for signs of life.
Hospitals received waves of injured people while patients were moved away from buildings considered unsafe. Several airports temporarily suspended flights so engineers could inspect terminals, runways and control facilities for structural damage.
The government declared a national state of emergency and mobilised military personnel, firefighters, medical teams and disaster-response units. Officials said rescuing trapped residents, treating survivors and delivering emergency supplies to isolated communities were the immediate priorities.
The disaster has been especially difficult for rural areas of Chocó, where mountainous terrain and damaged roads may delay rescue equipment. Landslides and continued aftershocks also present dangers to emergency personnel attempting to reach remote settlements.
Photographs taken in Cali show residents and rescue workers standing among collapsed walls and enormous piles of rubble. Other images captured hospital evacuations and crowds gathering outside damaged buildings as families tried to contact missing relatives. Verified photographs from 10 August
Across Colombia, the earthquake has left communities mourning while rescue workers race against time. The final scale of the disaster remains uncertain, with structural inspections, casualty verification and searches continuing into the night.
