Deadly 7.4-magnitude earthquake strikes Colombia, killing at least 47

A powerful magnitude-7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, August 10, 2026, triggering widespread evacuations and causing significant damage and injuries. The seismic event, with its epicenter located near San José del Palmar in the Chocó department, was felt across a wide region, including the capital city of Bogotá and as far as neighboring Ecuador and Venezuela. The United States Geological Survey reported the quake at a depth of approximately 107 kilometers.

Preliminary reports from Governor Nubia Carolina Córdoba-Curi of Chocó province indicated multiple injuries and substantial structural damage to buildings in Quibdó, the departmental capital. Damage was also reported in other cities such as Manizales, Caldas, where a four-story building partially collapsed, and in Armenia, with some buildings also collapsing in Cali. Authorities are currently assessing the full extent of the damage across the affected areas and have warned residents about potential aftershocks.

Despite the powerful tremor, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center confirmed that there was no tsunami threat, as the earthquake's depth was too great to generate one. Colombia is frequently prone to strong earthquakes due to its location at the complex intersection of several tectonic plates, including the Nazca and Caribbean plates.