Powerful 7.4 Magnitude Earthquake Kills 111 in Western Colombia

Conflict60 sourcesAug 10, 2026

0 placedFactual rigor 57/100

The Story

A powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia early Monday, killing at least 111 people and injuring 87 others.

Buildings collapsed across several cities, trapping residents in rubble. The tremor's epicenter was near San José del Palmar, about 250 miles west of Bogota. President Abelardo de la Espriella declared a state of emergency and a national disaster, sending ministers to coordinate rescue operations. Mayor Alejandro Eder said people remain trapped in Cali, with the city requesting disaster teams from Bogota and Medellin. Officials remain concerned about aftershocks.

What they agree on

A 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia early on Monday.
The earthquake has killed at least 111 people and injured 87 others.
Buildings collapsed across several cities, and people remain trapped in rubble.
Colombia's President Abelardo de la Espriella declared a state of emergency or national disaster.
The earthquake's epicenter was near San José del Palmar.

Where they split

Some US sources, including Just The News and HuffPost, specify the earthquake's epicenter as San José del Palmar or 5 kilometers east of it, while other international sources refer more broadly to "western Colombia."
The Jerusalem Post includes a human interest account from an Israeli family in Bogota, a detail not present in other outlets.
An international source details specific requests from Cali Mayor Alejandro Eder for disaster teams from Bogota and Medellin, a detail not explicitly mentioned by all other sources.