A magnitude-7.4 earthquake in Colombia has left 239 people dead and 3,755 injured, according to a report from the UNGRD [2, 5, 1].
The scale of the casualties and the widespread destruction of infrastructure present a massive humanitarian challenge for the Colombian government as recovery efforts begin.
The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNGRD) released a situational damage report with a cut-off time of 7:30 a.m. on Aug. 12, 2024 [7]. The assessment confirms that 14 departments across the country were affected [5].
Valle del Cauca recorded the highest loss of life with 125 deaths [8]. Risaralda followed with 94 deaths [9]. Other heavily impacted areas include Chocó, where 14 people died, and Caldas, which reported six deaths [10, 11].
Beyond the fatalities, the UNGRD reported that 287 people remain missing [3]. The earthquake caused severe damage to housing, public services, and general infrastructure [2].
Educational facilities suffered significant impacts. The report said that 1,667 educational centers were affected by the seismic activity [4].
"El reporte contabiliza: 239 fallecidos, 287 desaparecidos, 3.755 heridos y 1.667 centros educativos afectados," the UNGRD report said [1].
“A magnitude-7.4 earthquake in Colombia has left 239 people dead and 3,755 injured.”
The concentration of deaths in Valle del Cauca and Risaralda suggests these regions may have had more vulnerable infrastructure or higher population density in the earthquake's epicenter. The high number of damaged schools indicates a long-term disruption to education and a need for significant state investment in seismic retrofitting for public buildings.
