BOGOTA, Colombia: The death toll from a powerful earthquake in Colombia rose to 240 on Tuesday, local authorities said, as rescue teams searched through collapsed buildings and homes for survivors.
The 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia early on Monday, devastating parts of the country’s coffee-growing region and affecting major cities including Cali and Pereira, as well as the coastal Chocó region. It was the country’s most powerful earthquake in decades.
Emergency workers, backed by police, soldiers and volunteers, worked through the night using excavators and, at times, their bare hands to search for people trapped beneath the rubble. Authorities warned that the death toll could rise as rescue operations continued.
Rescuers search for survivors
Jose Fernando Usma, head of search and rescue for the Colombian Red Cross branch in Quindío, said rescuers had detected sounds and other signs that could indicate survivors beneath collapsed structures.
Teams were assessing damaged buildings and clearing debris to reach people believed to be trapped deeper inside, he said.
“We still have a big window of time. We have approximately 24 more hours to have hope of life,” Usma said.
Cali, a city of about 2.2 million people, suffered some of the heaviest casualties, with at least 95 people reported dead. Dozens of buildings were destroyed or left dangerously unstable, forcing residents into the streets.
Several upper floors of a hospital in Cali, including areas used for paediatric care, collapsed, according to hospital director Irne Torres Castro, who spoke to Caracol television.
Some patients were trapped, while about 600 others had to be treated in a street covered with rubble, he said.
Carmen Yasmin Garcia, a 43-year-old Cali resident who joined rescue teams, said her group had freed seven people from a collapsed building on Monday. Four others and a dog remained trapped, she said.
“A moment ago there was scratching, but now we can’t hear anything; we still have faith that the dog is alive and we can get these people out,” Garcia said.
“We need people with sticks and spades, the more people lending a hand the better.”
Worst-hit areas of Colombia
In Pereira, the capital of the hard-hit Risaralda region, authorities reported 72 deaths.
Officials in neighbouring Valle del Cauca, which includes Cali, reported 38 fatalities, while another 13 people were killed in Chocó, the rural province closest to the earthquake’s epicentre.
Pereira also suffered extensive structural damage, with residential blocks reduced to concrete and twisted steel.
Video posted on social media and verified by Reuters showed the city’s airport shaking violently during the earthquake, with large sections of the ceiling collapsing as people sought shelter.
A 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia, causing significant damage in cities like Cali and Pereira, and marking the country's strongest quake this century https://t.co/QyWREH0POI pic.twitter.com/982SfqpGai
— Reuters (@Reuters) August 11, 2026
The earthquake also damaged buildings in other parts of the coffee-growing heartland. In the city of Manizales, one of a cathedral’s spires collapsed.
The disaster has drawn comparisons with the 1999 earthquake that devastated the same coffee-growing region and killed more than 1,000 people.
It has also been compared with catastrophic earthquakes in neighbouring Venezuela in June that killed more than 6,300 people.
Security forces deployed to Cali
Colombian President Abelardo De La Espriella, who took office only days ago, said 1,000 members of the security forces would be deployed to Cali by dawn following reports of looting.
Cali and Pereira imposed curfews on Monday night as authorities sought to maintain order amid the destruction.
Also Read: Colombia Quake Death Toll Hits 132, Rescuers Race To Find Survivors
“Our intention is to cooperate in any way necessary. Here, there are no distinctions or ideological divisions when it comes to defending our people or showing solidarity,” De La Espriella told journalists on Monday evening.
Rescue and relief operations continued on Tuesday as emergency teams assessed damaged structures and worked to locate survivors.
EU activates support for Colombia
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Tuesday that the EU was providing support for Colombia’s rescue and relief efforts.
“The EU has mobilised Copernicus, our satellite service, to support rescue and relief operations. We are providing funding to support the response, including through the Red Cross,” Kallas said in a post on X.
In the face of the devastating earthquake that has struck Colombia, I have conveyed our deepest condolences to my Colombian counterpart @omarbula.
Our thoughts are with the victims, their families, the injured, and all those affected.
The EU has mobilised Copernicus, our…
— Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) August 11, 2026
She said the EU had also activated its crisis consular assistance mechanism to support European citizens affected by the disaster.
Pakistan expresses solidarity with Colombia
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep grief over the loss of life and widespread destruction caused by the earthquake.
“Deeply saddened by the tragic loss of lives and widespread devastation caused by the powerful earthquake in Colombia,” Sharif said in a post on X.
Deeply saddened by the tragic loss of lives and widespread devastation caused by the powerful earthquake in Colombia. On behalf of the people and Government of Pakistan, I extend my heartfelt condolences to President Abelardo De La Espriella, the people of Colombia, and all the…
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) August 11, 2026
On behalf of Pakistan’s government and people, he extended condolences to Colombian President Abelardo De La Espriella, the Colombian people and families who had lost loved ones.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the injured and all those affected by this tragedy. Pakistan stands in solidarity with the people of Colombia in this difficult hour,” he said.
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also expressed his “heartfelt condolences and sympathies” to the families of the victims.
“Pakistan stands in solidarity with the government and people of Colombia as they navigate this difficult time,” Dar said on X, wishing those injured a swift recovery.
We are deeply saddened by the loss of precious lives and the devastation caused by the recent earthquake in Colombia. Our heartfelt condolences and sympathies go to the bereaved families who have lost their loved ones. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected, and we…
— Ishaq Dar (@MIshaqDar50) August 11, 2026
With rescue operations entering a second day, emergency teams continued searching damaged buildings for survivors.
