A magnitude-7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, killing at least 111 people [1, 2].
The disaster caused widespread building collapses and casualties across several regions, testing the nation's emergency response infrastructure during a morning rush.
The quake hit around 7:00 local time on Aug. 10, 2026 [1, 2]. President Alberto de la Esperanza said 111 people have died [1, 2]. However, a separate report from YTN indicated at least 18 deaths in a single city [3].
Impacts were felt across more than 20 municipalities [1, 2]. The departments of Risaralda, Caldas, and Manizales were among the hardest hit, with the capital city of Bogotá also falling within the affected zone [1, 2].
In the Risaralda department, officials said 42 people died [1]. In Manizales, three people died [1]. The scale of the destruction has left rescue teams searching through rubble for survivors in multiple urban centers.
Reporter Shin Woong-jin said major cities across the country, including the capital, were all within the impact zone [3]. The earthquake triggered immediate panic and structural failures in residential and commercial buildings—leading to the high casualty count reported by the presidency.
Emergency services continue to operate in the western regions as the government assesses the total damage to infrastructure. Authorities have not yet confirmed if the death toll will rise further as search operations continue in the most heavily damaged municipalities.
“President Alberto de la Esperanza said 111 people have died.”
The discrepancy between the presidential report of 111 deaths and alternative reports of 18 suggests a fluid situation where casualty counts are being updated in real-time. The wide geographic spread of the impact, reaching from the western departments to the capital of Bogotá, indicates a high-energy seismic event that likely overwhelmed local first responders in multiple jurisdictions simultaneously.
