7.4-magnitude earthquake hits Colombia, killing at least 111

(Al Jazeera Media Network) At least 111 people have been killed and 87 others injured after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck large parts of western Colombia.

Colombia’s Geological Service said Monday that it had been “the highest-magnitude earthquake registered in Colombia in the last decade.”

Dozens of buildings collapsed across multiple cities, leaving residents trapped under debris and forcing people to evacuate their homes as far away as the capital of Bogota.

Newly inaugurated Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella declared an emergency to expedite funding for quake recovery and has plans to visit the disaster zone.

“We aren’t going to leave people alone. They are in our hearts and we are going to tend to people with our full determination,” he said.

The earthquake occurred near the municipality of San Jose del Palmar in Colombia’s Choco region, about 400 km (250 miles) west of the capital, Bogota, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and Colombia’s geological service. The USGS said the quake occurred at a depth of about 107 km. The US tsunami warning system said there was no tsunami warning.

The quake was followed by two 2.8 and 4.8 magnitude aftershocks.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/10/7-4-magnitude-earthquake-hits-colombia-killing-at-least-20