Skip linksSkip to Contentplay Live Sign upShow navigation menuNavigation menuNewsShow more news sectionsAfricaAsiaUS & CanadaLatin AmericaEuropeAsia PacificMiddle EastExplainedSportOpinionVideoMoreShow more sectionsFeaturesEconomyHuman RightsClimate CrisisInvestigationsInteractivesIn PicturesScience & TechnologyPodcastsTravelSponsored Contentplay Live Click here to searchsearchSign upIn PicturesGallery|EarthquakesPhotos: 7.4-magnitude earthquake rocks western ColombiaA powerful earthquake kills more than 69 people and topples buildings across western Colombia.SaveClick here to share on social mediashare-nodesSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoPeople walk through the rubble of a collapsed building after an earthquake in Cali, Colombia. [Ernesto Guzman Jr/EPA]By News AgenciesPublished On 10 Aug 202610 Aug 2026At least 69 people have been killed and dozens of buildings have collapsed in cities across western Colombia after a powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck the South American nation.The quake on Monday trapped residents under debris, injured many more and forced people to flee their homes as far away as the capital, Bogota.The epicentre was near San Jose del Palmar, a community of about 4,800 people in the Choco region, roughly 250 miles (400km) west of Bogota, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and Colombia’s geological service. The USGS said the earthquake struck at a depth of 66 miles (107km). Tremors were also felt in neighbouring Ecuador.The quake left cities across western Colombia, including Pereira, Quibdo, Cali and Manizales, badly damaged, with residents picking through the rubble of collapsed buildings amid official warnings of possible aftershocks.The Colombian Geological Service said it was “the highest-magnitude earthquake registered in Colombia in the last decade” and that it was followed by two aftershocks of magnitude 2.8 and 4.8 on the Richter scale.Small earthquakes, known locally as “temblores”, are common in central and western Colombia, but quakes above magnitude 6.0 are rare. In 1999, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake near the city of Armenia killed more than 1,100 people.Colombia’s newly inaugurated President Abelardo de la Espriella said on Monday that he had personally taken charge of the government’s response to the emergency in San Jose del Palmar following the earthquake. Advertisement The Colombian Geological Service said it was “the highest-magnitude earthquake registered in Colombia in the last decade”. [Ernesto Guzman Jr/EPA] Advertisement People look through the rubble of a collapsed building in Cali. [AFP]A damaged building in Manizales, Caldas department. [AFP]The quake left cities across western Colombia badly damaged. [Ernesto Guzman Jr/EPA]A police officer walks amid debris of a damaged building in Manizales. [Jonh Bonilla/AFP]A woman is rescued from a collapsed building in Cali. [AFP] Advertisement Patients are evacuated from a hospital in Cali. [Santiago Saldarriaga/AP Photo]Residents and rescue workers search through the rubble of a collapsed building in Cali. [Santiago Saldarriaga/AP Photo]RelatedEarthquake with 7.4 magnitude hits Colombia, killing at least 69Emergency teams are still assessing the impact of the quake that was felt across the region.Published On 10 Aug 202610 Aug 2026More from GalleryPowerful Typhoon Dolphin hits China, prompting flood and landslide warningsThis gallery article has 9 imagescamera9Photos: One year on, Gaza mourns journalist Anas al-Sharif’s deathThis gallery article has 7 imagescamera7Photos: Sudan war leaves ancient Meroe pyramids at risk of collapseThis gallery article has 10 imagescamera10Photos: Israeli forces raid occupied West Bank’s Qalandiya refugee campThis gallery article has 7 imagescamera7Most popularTrump says will seek Iran compensation; Tehran says Oman talks progressingOPINIONOPINION, Iran changed the rules in Hormuz. The Gulf is changing the rules for IranquotesWhat’s behind Trump’s shift to economic pressure on Iran? Will it work?Magnitude 7.4 quake strikes Colombia, killing at least 111AboutAboutShow moreAbout UsCode of EthicsTerms and ConditionsEU/EEA Regulatory NoticePrivacy PolicyCookie PolicyCookie PreferencesAccessibility StatementSitemapWork for usConnectConnectShow moreContact UsUser Accounts HelpAdvertise with usStay ConnectedNewslettersChannel FinderTV SchedulePodcastsSubmit a TipPaid Partner ContentOur ChannelsOur ChannelsShow moreAl Jazeera ArabicAl Jazeera EnglishAl Jazeera Investigative UnitAl Jazeera MubasherAl Jazeera DocumentaryAl Jazeera BalkansAJ+Our NetworkOur NetworkShow moreAl Jazeera Centre for StudiesAl Jazeera Media InstituteLearn ArabicAl Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human RightsAl Jazeera ForumAl Jazeera Hotel PartnersFollow Al Jazeera English:facebooktwitteryoutubeinstagram-colored-outlinerss© 2026 Al Jazeera Media Network
