At least 132 people died and over 570 were injured after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday. The tremor, one of the country’s largest in years, struck at a depth of 103 kilometers with its epicenter in Chocó province, severely damaging buildings and infrastructure across multiple regions.
A powerful Monday morning earthquake has plunged Colombia into a national crisis just days after the swearing-in of President Abelardo de la Espriella. The 7.4 magnitude tremor struck at 07:34 local time at a depth of 103 kilometers, with its epicenter located near the village of San José del Palmar in the sparsely populated Pacific province of Chocó, according to the Colombian Geological Service. The impact rippled across the nation, felt in nine departments and all 32 departmental capitals, as well as neighboring Venezuela.
The disaster prompted the newly inaugurated administration to declare a state of emergency to coordinate rescue efforts. De la Espriella, a right-wing politician who has never before held elected office, posted on X that he was suspending planned activities while flying to Bogotá to lead the response at the forefront of the situation.
I am at the forefront of the situation.
Severe Damage Across Pereira, Cali, and Chocó
The death toll climbed to at least 132 individuals, with preliminary reports from the Colombian Association of Capital Cities noting over 570 injuries and rescue operations working through the rubble of collapsed structures. The destruction concentrated heavily in the country’s coffee-growing region and western departments, where urban centers suffered structural collapses and heavy casualties.
In Pereira, the capital of Risaralda, officials reported 60 deaths, making it the hardest-hit city in the metropolitan area. Verified footage showed at least one building collapsing in Plaza Bolívar, the city’s main square, sending a dark cloud of dust over crowds. A curfew was enacted in parts of the city until Tuesday morning as authorities worked to search 15 buildings where people remained trapped.
Farther south in Cali, Mayor Alejandro Eder reported that at least 30 buildings collapsed, with rescue crews actively deployed to ten sites. Residents banded together in the aftermath to clear debris from ruined structures.
In the Pacific province of Chocó, Governor Nubia Carolina Cordoba-Curi confirmed fatalities and severe structural damage in the capital of Quibdó, while issuing urgent warnings to residents regarding dangerous aftershocks. The regional impact also reached Manizales, where the tremor toppled one of the towers atop a neo-Gothic cathedral, and extended into Medellín and Valle del Cauca.
Transport Infrastructure Disruptions and Seismic History
The Colombian Civil Aviation Authority ordered the immediate suspension of flight operations across six regional facilities after inspections revealed structural damage. Airports affected by the shutdown include facilities in Pereira, Manizales, Quibdó, Armenia, Cartago, and Buenaventura.
The capital city of Bogotá, located roughly 400 kilometers from the epicenter, experienced strong shaking that triggered alarms and prompted mass evacuations from high-rise buildings. Bogotá Mayor Carlos Galan confirmed that there are no reports of injuries or structural damage, only some cracks in buildings across the city.
Geological officials noted that the region’s high seismic activity stems from the subduction of the Nazca Plate beneath the South American Plate. While minor tremors remain common in the Andean mountain ranges, Monday’s event marks the strongest earthquake recorded in Colombia in the last decade, testing the nation’s building standards and emergency response protocols.
Emergency Response and What Lies Ahead
Search and rescue teams continue to comb through rubble across multiple departments as aftershocks ranging between magnitudes 2.8 and 4.8 follow the primary quake. International observers noted the timing of the disaster, which hit after Venezuela experienced twin earthquakes in June that killed more than 6,000 people.
Emergency coordinators remain focused on delivering heavy rescue equipment to trapped survivors while assessing infrastructure stability across damaged roads and suspended aviation hubs. The government has not yet provided a final timeline for reopening the closed airports or lifting regional curfews as damage assessments proceed.
Worth a look
