7.4-magnitude earthquake strikes Colombia and Ecuador; at least 20 dead

A 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia on August 10, 2026, killing at least 20 people and prompting evacuations across multiple cities as rescue operations began in collapsed buildings.

The U.S. Geological Survey and Colombia's geological agency confirmed the epicenter was in San Jose Del Palmar, a community of about 4,800 people in the Choco region approximately 250 miles west of Bogota. According to the USGS, the quake struck at a depth of 66 miles.

Casualties were concentrated in urban centers. Per local officials, at least 18 people were killed in Pereira and two in Manizales. The neo-Gothic cathedral in Manizales sustained significant damage, with one of its towers collapsing onto the nave. In Cali, a city of 2 million people, Mayor Alejandro Eder reported that residents were trapped in at least 19 collapsed buildings. Choco Governor Nubia Cordoba reported injuries and serious structural damage in Quibdo, the regional capital with a population of about 130,000.

The tremor was also felt across the border in Ecuador. Earthquakes above 6.0 magnitude are rare in central and western Colombia, according to the sources; in 1999, a 6.2-magnitude quake near Armenia killed more than 1,100 people.

New President Abelardo de la Espriella said Monday he had taken personal charge of the government's emergency response in San Jose Del Palmar, telling affected residents: "You are not alone. The state is present and taking action." Monday was declared a day of mourning in the region.

The sources do not provide a complete accounting of injuries across all affected cities or the full extent of building damage beyond the reported collapses.