Search and rescue efforts have been underway early on Tuesday (August 11, 2026) in dozens of cities and cities in western Colombia after a powerful earthquake struck the region, killing a minimum of 111 folks and leaving many trapped below the particles of broken and destroyed buildings.
Monday’s 7.4 magnitude earthquake rattled Cali, Quibdo, Pereira and quite a few different cities and cities. Round 1,600 buildings have been reported broken or collapsed. Troopers, rescue personnel and households picked by means of the rubble, eradicating and passing massive items of concrete by hand down traces of volunteers.
President Abelardo de la Espriella mentioned on Monday afternoon a minimum of 111 folks had died.
Households posted details about lacking family members on citizen-run web sites. By Monday night time, greater than 2,700 folks had been reported lacking.
Colombia quake kills over 100 as rescue teams race to find missing | In pictures
Rescuers work on the website of a collapsed constructing following an earthquake, in Cali, Colombia on August 10, 2026. Search groups and civilians picked by means of the stays of destroyed buildings within the nation’s third-largest metropolis, Cali, passing massive items of concrete and different rubble down an extended line of volunteers.
Rescue employees and residents search by means of the rubble after an earthquake struck Pereira, Colombia. Native authorities mentioned the dying toll included a minimum of 40 individuals who have been killed within the Risaralda area, the place Pereira is situated, and 27 folks within the Valle del Cauca area, the place Cali is situated, together with three kids.
Emergency personnel dig by means of particles on the website of a collapsed constructing as restoration efforts proceed at night time following an earthquake, in Cali. Residents and rescue employees have been looking out the rubble for survivors. The native authorities mentioned that individuals remained trapped in quite a lot of town’s 380 broken buildings.
Rescuers work on the website of a collapsed constructing following an earthquake, in Cali. The determined scene recalled the searches nonetheless ongoing in neighboring Venezuela weeks after that nation was devastated by two highly effective earthquakes.
Rescuers transfer a casualty to an ambulance on the website of a collapsed constructing following an earthquake, in Cali, Colombia on August 10, 2026. Apart from Cali, the quake ravaged cities throughout western Colombia, together with Pereira, Quibdo and Manizales, and was felt in neighbouring Ecuador and Panama.
Rescuers work on the website of a collapsed constructing, in Cali. Round 1,600 buildings have been reported broken or collapsed. The epicentre was in San Jose del Palmar, a group of about 4,800 folks within the Choco area about 250 miles (400 kilometres) west of Bogota, the U.S. Geological Survey mentioned.
Folks dig by means of particles on the website of a collapsed constructing as restoration efforts proceed at night time following an earthquake, in Cali, Colombia. Households posted details about lacking family members on citizen-run web sites.
Emergency personnel work on the website of a broken constructing after an earthquake, in Cali, Colombia. Troopers, rescue personnel and households picked by means of the rubble, eradicating and passing massive items of concrete by hand down traces of volunteers.
Residents dig by means of the particles of a collapsed constructing in Pereira, Colombia, on August 10, 2026. By August tenth night time, greater than 2,700 folks had been reported lacking. Many Colombians have been solely starting to grapple with the catastrophe’s longer-term penalties.
Emergency personnel work on the website of a broken constructing after an earthquake, in Cali. Native authorities mentioned 80% of El Cairo, a city of about 7,000 folks, was broken.
Residents and rescue employees search by means of the rubble of a collapsed constructing after an earthquake struck Cali. Choco, the area surrounding the quake’s epicenter, is likely one of the poorest and most uncared for areas of Colombia, usually beset by warring armed teams.
Folks distribute packs of bottled water, in Cali, Colombia. The U.S. State Division introduced it could present $15.5 million for emergency shelter, meals and different assist. Governments throughout Latin America additionally lined as much as assist.
A rescue employee searches by means of the rubble, in Cali, Colombia. The earthquake presents the primary main take a look at for Abelardo de la Espriella, who was sworn in as Colombia’s chief on August 7, 2026. De la Espriella is a divisive determine due to his pledge of an all-out crackdown on felony teams.
Folks increase their fists as they collect on the website of a collapsed constructing following an earthquake, in Cali, Colombia on August 10, 2026. Folks ran by means of rubble and plumes of mud, and residents mentioned collapsed shops, residential buildings and houses lined town.
Rescuers work on the website of a collapsed constructing following, in Cali. Colombia’s Pacific area across the epicenter lies alongside the “Ring of Hearth,” the road of seismic faults encircling the Pacific Ocean the place a lot of the world’s earthquakes happen.
A gloved fist is raised to name for silence to find victims, on the website of a collapsed constructing following an earthquake, in Cali, Colombia on August 10, 2026. By August 10 afternoon, folks had begun reporting their family members lacking on digital databases simply as civilians did following Venezuela’s earthquakes. One database had greater than 2,000 folks, largely in Cali and Pereira, with the quantity steadily climbing.
Folks increase their fists to name for silence to find victims, as they collect on the website of a collapsed constructing following an earthquake, in Cali. The earthquakes left many within the Andean nation unnerved after two back-to-back quakes devastated neighbouring Venezuela in late June, destroying tons of of buildings and killing greater than 6,300 folks.
Rescuers work on the website of a collapsed constructing in Cali, Colombia. The Pacific, notably the Choco area, is one in all Colombia’s poorest, nestled in dense jungle. A lot of Choco is barely reachable by boat or airplane, which can pose problem in assessing the broader toll.
Folks search by means of the rubble after an earthquake struck Cali, Colombia. Little was identified concerning the extent of the harm in Choco, a distant area the place officers reported dozens of injured folks and broken buildings however few different particulars. Cellphone indicators have been out in lots of elements of the area’s capital, Quibdo.
A person inspects the rubble on the website of a collapsed constructing following an earthquake, in Cali, Colombia on August 10, 2026. Small earthquakes, generally known as “temblores,” are frequent in central and western Colombia, however these above 6.0 magnitude are uncommon. In 1999, a 6.2 magnitude quake close to town of Armenia killed greater than 1,100 folks.
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Dana Carolina Zamora posted a picture of her lacking 60-year-old uncle, Miguel Ángel Zamora, cradling his canine. The farmer was residing in a rural space of El Cairo, not removed from the epicenter of the quake in San Jose Del Palmar.
A person appears at a collapsed constructing after an earthquake struck Manizales, Colombia
| Photograph Credit score:
AP
Native authorities mentioned 80% of El Cairo, a city of about 7,000 folks, was broken. Ms. Zamora mentioned she fearful as a result of her uncle lived in a conventional however fragile home made from sticks and dust.
“We’re afraid. We hope that isn’t the case, that he’s all proper and that it’s only a communication failure. However we haven’t heard something from him,” Ms. Zamora mentioned.
Harm in Choco unknown
Choco, the area surrounding the quake’s epicenter, is likely one of the poorest and most uncared for areas of Colombia, usually beset by warring armed teams. A lot of Choco is accessible solely by boat, by means of the jungle or by airplane. Little was identified concerning the extent of the harm there.
De la Espriella traveled to Choco’s capital, Quibdo, on Monday night time to evaluate the harm and introduced he had mobilized “all the navy and police equipment” to reply, deploying engineers, rescue employees and search canines. He introduced rental subsidies for these whose houses have been broken whereas they endure repairs.
Emergency personnel dig by means of particles on the website of a collapsed constructing as restoration efforts proceed at night time following an earthquake, in Cali, Colombia
| Photograph Credit score:
Reuters
“Choco won’t ever once more be the ‘land of the forgotten,’” he mentioned.
The earthquake presents the primary main take a look at for de la Espriella, who was sworn in as Colombia’s chief on Friday. De la Espriella is a divisive determine due to his pledge of an all-out crackdown on felony teams.
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Governments provide assist, assist
The U.S. State Division introduced it could present $15.5 million for emergency shelter, meals and different assist. Governments throughout Latin America additionally lined as much as assist.
Rooms of a constructing are uncovered after a constructing collapse, following an earthquake, in Cali, Colombia
| Photograph Credit score:
Reuters
The earthquake left many within the Andean nation unnerved after two back-to-back quakes devastated neighboring Venezuela in late June, destroying tons of of buildings and killing greater than 6,300 folks.
Many Colombians have been solely starting to grapple with the catastrophe’s longer-term penalties.
Mónica Sánchez owns a small firm that makes work uniforms. Her residence metropolis, Pereira, was one of many worst hit, and a wall contained in the manufacturing facility collapsed. Sánchez and her 12 employees have been in a position to get exterior simply in time.
“It was stunning — town fell down round us,” she mentioned.
Printed – August 11, 2026 10:41 am IST
