- A 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia on Aug. 10 at 7:34 a.m. local time, killing at least 111 people and causing significant damage.
- The quake damaged hospitals, infrastructure, and residential towers, causing widespread communications outages and prompting authorities to suspend operations at multiple airports.
- President Abelardo, who took office Aug. 7, declared a national emergency and said the immediate priority is freeing those trapped beneath the rubble.
- Rescue workers, police, and volunteers shoveled debris by hand at many sites due to the absence of heavy equipment.
- Risaralda, in the central Andean region known for its coffee, seemed to suffer the brunt of the damage, with severe impacts in Pereira and Manizales.
- In Cali, neighbors formed human chains to speed up debris removal with many people trapped beneath the rubble.
Rescue workers are engaged in a desperate search for survivors following a catastrophic 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck Colombia on Aug. 10, killing at least 111 people. The quake, the worst in the country this century, occurred just days after President Abelardo took office on Aug. 7, leading him to declare a national emergency.1245
The earthquake hit at 7:34 a.m. local time, causing significant damage to hospitals, infrastructure, and residential buildings, while also disrupting communications and airport operations. In the central Andean region of Risaralda, where the damage was most severe, rescue teams, police, and volunteers are working tirelessly, often without heavy equipment, to clear debris by hand in hopes of finding survivors.789
In the capital city of Pereira, footage captured the collapse of a four-story building, prompting rescue efforts to dig through the rubble. Juan Carlos Osorio, a local resident, described the scene, stating, “The collapse of the building sounded like a bomb.” In Manizales, another city in the coffee-growing region, a tower from the landmark Gothic cathedral was reported toppled.
Seismologist Suzan van der Lee noted that the quake's inland location and strike-slip motion may have exacerbated the damage, despite its depth suggesting it shouldn't have caused such severe shaking. Colombia, situated along the Pacific Ring of Fire, frequently experiences seismic activity, with thousands of minor quakes recorded monthly.
“The quake struck at 7:34 a.m. local time, damaging hospitals and infrastructure, and suspending airport operations. In Risaralda, the coffee-growing region, Pereira and Manizales saw severe damage, including a toppled cathedral tower, while Cali residents formed human chains to clear debris.”
