Death toll tops 70 with Colombians buried under rubble by quake

Katherine Pennacchio and Oscar Medina, Bloomberg News on Aug 10, 2026

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BOGOTA, Colombia — A deadly earthquake hit Colombia on Monday morning, toppling buildings, burying people under rubble and causing more than 70 deaths in the Pacific region and the central Andes.

The magnitude 7.4 quake struck at 7:34 a.m. local time near the town of San Jose del Palmar, Choco province, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. There was at least one aftershock, but no tsunami warning.

The event is the first major test for President Abelardo de la Espriella, who was sworn in Friday in a ceremony in Cali, where on Monday at least 19 buildings collapsed, trapping residents under fallen masonry. He initially said he would travel to Risaralda province, scenes of some of the most intense damage, then changed his destination to Bogota to coordinate with the National Risk and Disaster Management agency.

Authorities reported at least 40 deaths in Risaralda, a coffee-producing region south of Medellin, 27 in Valle del Cauca, where Cali is the capital, four in Choco and two in Caldas. The toll is likely to continue rising as rescue teams search for survivors amid the wreckage.

There were reported cracks in buildings in Medellin, the nation’s second largest city, though no initial reports of injuries there.

The disaster will complicate de la Espriella’s pledge to freeze public spending. Some lawmakers are asking him to declare an economic emergency, which would allow him to raise taxes without going through congress.

The earthquake also rocked buildings in Bogota, causing some residents to flee into the streets while still dressed in pajamas. There were no immediate reports of damage, according to the capital’s mayor.

Colombian aviation authorities said that operations had been suspended at five airports in the affected region.

The U.S. government is closely monitoring the situation and “stands ready to support the people of Colombia,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a social media post. De la Espriella is an ally of President Donald Trump, who endorsed him in June’s presidential election.

Mexico’s Claudia Sheinbaum, Brazil’s Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Ecuador’s Daniel Noboa said their governments were available to provide support.

The disaster revived memories of a devastating 1999 earthquake that struck the same area, killing nearly 1,200 people.

The quake comes less than two months after twin earthquakes struck Venezuela in June. The official death toll from that disaster has surpassed 6,000, ranking it among the deadliest to hit Latin America in recent years.

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(With assistance from Luana Maria Benedito and Vivien Ngo.)