A magnitude-7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, causing buildings to collapse and leaving dozens of people dead [1, 4].
The disaster underscores the vulnerability of infrastructure in the region and the immediate need for coordinated rescue efforts in remote departments. Local authorities and rescue teams are currently working to locate survivors trapped under debris.
The quake occurred near San José del Palmar in the Chocó department [5, 6]. The U.S. Geological Survey said the event was caused by tectonic movement [5]. The hypocenter was located at a depth of 107 km [5], approximately 280 km west of Bogotá [5, 6].
Fatality reports vary across agencies as the situation evolves. Yahoo News reported at least 82 deaths [4], while The Star reported 79 [1]. Other reports provided lower figures, including 69 from Global News [7], 28 from The New York Times [2], and 20 from CBC [3].
President Abelardo De La Espriella addressed the nation following the disaster. "To the Colombians who are today facing hard times, I want to say: you are not alone," De La Espriella said [4].
Rescue teams have rushed to the affected areas to manage the collapse of multiple structures. The intensity of the shaking prompted residents in both Colombia and Ecuador to evacuate their homes and buildings [1, 6]. Local officials have not yet released a final tally of injuries, or the total number of displaced residents.
“"To the Colombians who are today facing hard times, I want to say: you are not alone."”
The wide variance in death tolls—ranging from 20 to 82—reflects the typical chaos of early disaster reporting in remote regions like Chocó. Because the epicenter was deep (107 km), the shaking was felt across a broad area, including neighboring Ecuador, but the collapse of buildings suggests significant structural failures in local construction.
