Magnitude 7.4 Colombia Quake Damages Cities As New President Leads Response
A 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia at 7:34 a.m. local time Monday, August 10, 2026, damaging buildings and prompting evacuations as strong shaking was felt in neighboring Ecuador.[1]
The U.S. Geological Survey and Colombia's geological agency placed the epicenter near San José del Palmar in Chocó, about 250 miles west of Bogotá, at a depth of roughly 66 miles (107 kilometers).[2]
Chocó Governor Nubia Carolina Córdoba-Curi said there were injuries and significant building damage in Quibdó, the regional capital of roughly 140,000 residents.[2] In Cali, Mayor Alejandro Eder said at least 20 buildings collapsed with people trapped inside and urged residents to evacuate visibly damaged structures.[1] Local media and videos showed partial collapses and visible quake damage in Manizales and Pereira.[1] Initial reports described injuries and serious damage, but officials had not released overall casualty or damage counts.[3]
President Abelardo De La Espriella took office on Friday, August 7, 2026.[1] He said he has personally assumed leadership of the emergency response, set up a unified command post and asked the disaster agency for a detailed situation report.[1] He plans to travel to Pereira to oversee relief efforts.[1]
The quake follows late-June twin earthquakes in Venezuela that destroyed hundreds of buildings and killed and displaced thousands, a recent sequence that has heightened regional concern about seismic risk.[2]
Show source details & analysis (3 sources)
📌 Key Facts
- A 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, August 10, 2026, hitting at 7:34 a.m. local time and producing shaking reported in neighboring Ecuador; the event prompted people to evacuate buildings (7.4-magnitude earthquake).
- The U.S. Geological Survey and Colombia’s geological agency placed the epicenter in or near San José del Palmar in the Chocó region — about 250 miles (400 km) west of Bogotá — at a depth of roughly 66 miles (107 km) (San José del Palmar).
- Chocó Governor Nubia Carolina Córdoba‑Curi said there are injuries and significant building damage in Quibdó, the regional capital of about 140,000 residents (Nubia Carolina Córdoba‑Curi).
- In Cali, Mayor Alejandro Eder reported that at least 20 buildings collapsed with people trapped inside and urged residents to evacuate visibly damaged structures; local media and videos also showed partial collapses and visible quake damage in Manizales and Pereira (Mayor Alejandro Eder).
- New President Abelardo De La Espriella, who took office on Friday, August 7, 2026, said he has personally assumed leadership of the emergency response, established a unified command post, requested a detailed situation report from the disaster agency, and plans to travel to Pereira to oversee relief efforts (Abelardo De La Espriella).
- The quake is being reported in the context of a recent regional seismic sequence: late‑June twin quakes in Venezuela (magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5) that killed and displaced thousands and destroyed hundreds of buildings (twin 7.2 and 7.5 quakes in Venezuela).
- Officials and residents evacuated buildings after the shaking, and initial reports described injuries and serious damage to buildings while casualty and overall damage counts remained unavailable (injuries and serious damage to buildings).
📰 Source Timeline (3)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Confirms the earthquake struck at 7:34 a.m. local time on Monday, August 10, 2026, with a magnitude of 7.4 and an epicenter about 3 miles east of San José del Palmar in Chocó.
- Reports that in Cali, the country's third-largest city, Mayor Alejandro Eder said on X that at least 20 buildings collapsed with people trapped inside and urged residents to evacuate any visibly damaged buildings.
- Describes partially collapsed buildings and visible quake damage in major cities Manizales, Pereira and Cali, based on local media videos.
- Quotes Chocó Governor Nubia Carolina Córdoba-Curi saying there are injuries and significant building damage in Quibdó, the regional capital of about 140,000 residents.
- Notes that new President Abelardo De La Espriella, who took office on Friday, August 7, 2026, said he has "personally assumed leadership" of the emergency response, established a unified command post and requested a detailed situation report from the disaster management agency.
- Says De La Espriella plans to travel to Pereira in person to stand with those affected and oversee the government's response.
- Places the quake in regional context by recalling that twin 7.2 and 7.5 quakes in Venezuela weeks earlier killed more than 6,000 people and displaced tens of thousands.
- The AP report, published August 10, 2026, confirms the same event as a magnitude 7.4 earthquake striking western Colombia on Monday, August 10, 2026, with shaking also reported in neighboring Ecuador.
- The U.S. Geological Survey and Colombia's geological agency place the epicenter in San Jose del Palmar, Choco region, about 250 miles (400 kilometers) west of Bogotá, at a depth of 66 miles (107 kilometers).
- Choco Gov. Nubia Córdoba stated on social media that in the regional capital there are injuries and serious damage to buildings, though she did not yet provide casualty or damage counts.
- The article notes this Colombian quake follows two late-June earthquakes of magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 in Venezuela that destroyed hundreds of buildings and killed more than 5,000 people, framing a regional seismic sequence.