Dozens of people are dead after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake rocked western Colombia on Monday, officials said.
The earthquake’s epicenter was 5 kilometers east of San José del Palmar, Colombia, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Residents and rescue workers search through the rubble of a collapsed building after an earthquake struck Cali, Colombia, Aug. 10, 2026.
Santiago Saldarriaga/AP
At least 50 people are dead, according to Colombia’s presidential office. At least 27 people, including three children, died in the Valle del Cauca department, whose capital, Cali, is among the most impacted cities, officials said.
In Cali, at least 20 buildings collapsed and people were trapped, according to the mayor. A rescue effort was ongoing in a building where at least 15 people were trapped, according to officials.
People look for survivors amid the rubble of a collapsed building after an earthquake in Cali, Colombia, Aug. 10, 2026.
Joaquin Sarmiento/AFP via Getty Images
The governor of Chuco said there were injuries and “severe damage” to buildings in the department’s capital city of Quibdo. Pereira was also among the hardest-hit cities, the presidential office said.
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Seven airports have suspended their services, in the cities of Armenia, Cali, Manizales, Pereira, Quibdo, Buenaventura and Cartago.
Rubbles on a street are pictured after the earthquake in Manizales, Colombia, Aug. 10, 2026.
Jonh Bonilla/AFP via Getty Images
There have not been any reports of collapsed buildings in the capital of Bogota, officials said.
Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella said in a video on social media that he was headed to Bogota to “focus on addressing the emergency facing our country” and has convened a unified command post to respond to the affected areas, including what’s known as the Coffee-Growers’ Axis.
The Trump administration is “closely monitoring” the earthquake and stands “ready” to support the people of Colombia, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement.
