Colombia declared a national disaster after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck the Pacific Coast on 10 August, with its epicentre in San José del Palmar, Chocó, around 150 miles west of Bogotá. The quake caused widespread building collapses across regions including Cauca, Valle del Cauca, Risaralda and Quindío, trapping residents under rubble, and comes just six weeks after neighbouring Venezuela was hit by two separate earthquakes in June.

By 11 August the death toll had passed 200, with roughly 3,000 people still missing, and officials expect the figures to rise as rescue teams work to reach the epicentre. The Colombian Geological Service called it the strongest quake recorded in the country this century and logged more than 70 aftershocks, some reaching magnitude 3.8, warning that such tremors could continue for weeks or months. The US government has pledged $15.5 million towards relief efforts, and organisations such as All Hands and Hearts and Americares have mobilised teams on the ground to assist with emergency supplies and healthcare needs.