Residents and emergency personnel dig through debris from a partially collapsed building after an earthquake in Pereira, Colombia, on Monday, August 10, 2026. Photo: Reuters.
On Monday, August 10, the Colombian government declared a national disaster due to the magnitude 7.4 earthquake. Its epicenter was in San José del Palmar, Chocó, and it has left at least 111 people dead nationwide.
The decision was announced at the Extraordinary Committee for Disaster Management, headed by President Abelardo de La Espriella. The Colombian Association of Capital Cities (Asocapitales) participated, confirming the coordination of logistical capabilities and resources to prioritize assistance to the most devastated territories.
Nine dead and 80 injured in Chocó
According to Governor Nubia Carolina Córdoba-Curi, at least nine people died, and another 80 were injured in the Chocó department after the earthquake. Departmental authorities indicated that evaluation efforts in various municipalities are ongoing to quantify the damage to homes, buildings, and public and private infrastructure.
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The earthquake also caused severe disruptions to electricity supply, telephone, and communication services in multiple sectors.
The departmental administration indicated that relief agencies are verifying the situation on the ground, warning that damage and victim tolls will vary as information is consolidated in the affected areas.
Valle del Cauca: 27 dead
Meanwhile, in the Valle del Cauca department, Governor Dilian Francisca Toro updated the death toll to 27 people, lamenting the death of four children.
The governor warned of a hospital collapse in Zarzal and at the Valle University Hospital, in addition to the preventive evacuation of the Cartago health center and the destruction of El Águila Hospital. She also reported an 80% impact level in the municipality of El Cairo, where residential and institutional infrastructures suffered severe structural damage.
Pereira: 40 dead
In the city of Pereira and its metropolitan area, the number of fatalities rose to 40 people, as confirmed by Mayor Mauricio Salazar Peláez from the unified command post.
Local authorities reported the collapse of 65 buildings in Pereira, Dosquebradas, and La Virginia, activating search efforts in 15 structures where people are presumed to be trapped under rubble.
Airports suspend operations
Furthermore, at least six airport terminals have temporarily suspended operations due to structural and operational damage caused by the earthquake, as confirmed by the Colombian Civil Aeronautics.
The preventative measure seeks to ensure user safety and allow technical teams to evaluate the conditions of runways, control towers, and passenger terminals in areas impacted by the earthquake.
The disruption of air transport complicates mobility in the country’s western regions. Meanwhile, authorities prioritize establishing emergency air corridors to transfer rescuers and humanitarian assistance.
Aftershocks and rescue efforts
The Colombian Geological Service (SGC) reported two aftershocks with epicenters in the municipality of San José del Palmar, Chocó, following the strong earthquake that struck the country. The first secondary seismic event occurred at 8:18 a.m. local time with a magnitude of 4.8 and a depth of 88 kilometers.
During the interval in the city of Cali, authorities reported the collapse of 32 structures and maintained 15 operational points for search-and-rescue efforts. To date, emergency teams comprising firefighters, Civil Defense, and the Red Cross have rescued 38 people alive from the rubble.
Mayor Alejandro Eder confirmed the arrival of national reinforcements in the upcoming hours, a measure that will allow scaling up technical and logistical response capacity through coordinated deployment with the central government in disaster sites, as well as the preventive transfer of inmates from a penitentiary to its central courtyard to ensure the safety of the incarcerated population.
Subsequently, at 10:01 a.m. local time, the SGC confirmed a second aftershock of magnitude 3.8 in the same Chocó locality, at a depth of 88 kilometers.
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The technical agency’s experts noted that this intermediate depth significantly reduces surface shaking, making it unlikely that the event’s moderate magnitude will generate new structural damage in the affected areas.
Venezuela expresses solidarity
Through an official statement issued on Monday, August 10, the Venezuelan government extended its condolences to the families of victims and expressed full solidarity with the Colombian people following the earthquake.
“The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, on behalf of the Venezuelan people and its authorities, expresses its deepest solidarity and fraternity with the people and Government of the sister Republic of Colombia,” reads the statement released by the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry.
Venezuela reported that, through bilateral cooperation mechanisms and civil protection agencies, it has made available to the Colombian government the deployment of search-and-rescue teams and humanitarian assistance to address the emergency, under full respect for Colombian sovereignty and self-determination.
The full unofficial translation of the statement follows:
The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, on behalf of the Venezuelan people and its authorities, expresses its deepest solidarity and fraternity with the people and government of the sister Republic of Colombia following the powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake that struck a large part of Colombian territory this morning, August 10, 2026.
In the face of this adversity affecting our Colombian brothers and sisters, Venezuela stands in solidarity with the families of the victims and with all those who have suffered damage and material losses. We reaffirm our commitment to the bonds of brotherhood, cooperation, and Latin American unity that unite us as neighboring peoples.
The Venezuelan government, through bilateral cooperation mechanisms and civil protection agencies, places at the Colombian government’s disposal the deployment of a team of rescue workers and necessary humanitarian aid, within the framework of full respect for its sovereignty and self-determination.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and our wishes for a speedy recovery for the injured and the affected areas.
Caracas, August 10, 2026
Regional impact and international response
The seismic event was felt strongly across borders, shaking parts of western Venezuela, provinces in Ecuador, and areas of Panama, where preventive evacuations were carried out in public buildings and medical facilities.
In response to the tragedy, several regional governments—including Mexico, El Salvador, and Venezuela—have offered emergency support to the Colombian government, providing specialized rescue units, medical personnel, and humanitarian supplies.
(Telesur)
Translation: Orinoco Tribune with Orinoco Tribune content
OT/JRE/SF
