Magnitude-7.4 earthquake injures people and damages Colombia’s Pacific coast
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A magnitude-7.4 earthquake struck Colombia's Pacific coast on 10 August 2026, killing at least 111 people and injuring many more, prompting the government to declare a state of emergency. The quake, one of the largest to hit Colombia in years, toppled buildings across a wide area of the country's west, with the worst destruction concentrated in the coffee-growing city of Pereira and the surrounding Valle del Cauca region. Rescue efforts continued as people remained trapped under rubble, and authorities warned the death toll was likely to rise further.
The quake hit at 07:34 local time (12:34 GMT) at a depth of 103km, with its epicentre near the village of San José del Palmar in Chocó province; remarkably, no deaths were reported there despite damaged access roads. Pereira, about 55km from the epicentre, bore the brunt, with 40 deaths, 65 collapsed buildings and 15 sites where people were believed trapped, prompting a night-time curfew; Cali saw 32 buildings collapse, while deaths were also reported in Manizales, Quibdó and Medellín. Tremors were felt as far as Bogotá and Venezuela, and several regional airports sustained damage, though the capital escaped serious harm to its infrastructure.
- Magnitude-7.4 quake in Colombia kills at least 111 people
- Pereira city worst hit, with 65 buildings collapsed
- State of emergency declared; rescue efforts ongoing for trapped survivors
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Colombia sits on the "Ring of Fire", a zone around the Pacific Ocean where several of the Earth's tectonic plates meet, making the region prone to frequent and sometimes severe earthquakes. The country has experienced damaging quakes before, so building codes and emergency response systems exist, but rural and coastal areas nearer the epicentre tend to be more vulnerable to serious damage.
The Pacific Coast region, where this quake was centred, is home to a mix of smaller towns and cities, many with less robust infrastructure than the capital, Bogotá, or other major inland centres. Because the tremor was strong enough to be felt far from its source, it raises concerns not just for the immediate area but for wider public safety, including possible aftershocks and secondary hazards such as landslides.
Earthquakes of this scale matter because they can cause widespread structural damage, disrupt transport and utilities, and put pressure on emergency services and hospitals. The scale of casualties and damage often depends on factors such as building quality, population density, and how quickly aid can reach affected communities.
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Originally published by BBC World as “Strong earthquake causes significant damage and injuries in Colombia”.