BOGOTA, 11 August, 2026 (Ghufran): At least 111 people have been killed after a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia early Monday, causing buildings to collapse in several cities and leaving people trapped under the rubble.According to the US Geological Survey, the earthquake struck at a depth of around 107 kilometers near San Jose del Palmar in the Choco province on Colombia’s Pacific coast. The tremor was felt across the country, including in major cities. Authorities warned that significant casualties and widespread damage were possible as rescue teams continued operations in affected areas.The highest reported number of fatalities was recorded in Risaralda province, where Governor Juan Diego Patino said 42 people had died. In Pereira, a building with a severely damaged facade collapsed, sending debris and dust into the streets. In Manizales, three people were reported dead after the earthquake also damaged a Gothic-style cathedral, while hospitals in Cali moved patients outdoors as a precaution.

In Buenaventura, one person was killed when a building collapsed and several others were reportedly trapped. Cali Mayor Alejandro Eder said more than two dozen structures had collapsed across the city and that rescue teams had already saved an elderly woman and a young girl. He said authorities were responding to at least 12 critical locations and had requested additional disaster-response teams from Bogota and Medellin.Choco Governor Nubia Carolina Cordoba-Curi reported injuries and extensive damage in Quibdo, the provincial capital, and urged residents to remain alert for possible aftershocks.The earthquake struck shortly after Abelardo De La Espriella was sworn in as Colombia’s president, placing his newly formed administration at the center of a major national emergency. The president suspended his scheduled activities and travelled to Bogota to oversee emergency coordination efforts.

Colombia’s civil aviation authority temporarily suspended flights at airports in Pereira, Manizales, Quibdo, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura while inspectors assessed possible structural damage. The US tsunami warning system reported no tsunami threat following the earthquake.The tremor was felt in nine Colombian departments and all 32 departmental capitals. It was also reportedly felt across the border in Venezuela, including the state of Tachira and the central-western city of Barquisimeto.Colombia is located in a seismically active region and has experienced major earthquakes and landslides in the past. The 1999 earthquake in the country’s coffee-growing region killed more than 1,000 people, while the devastating Armero disaster in 1985 claimed around 25,000 lives after volcanic activity triggered deadly landslides.Rescue and emergency response operations remain underway as authorities assess the full extent of the destruction and continue searching for people who may still be trapped beneath collapsed structures.