Search and rescue efforts were underway early Tuesday, August 11, 2026, across dozens of cities and towns in western Colombia, following a powerful earthquake that struck the region a day earlier. The quake has killed at least 111 people so far, with many others still trapped under the debris of damaged and destroyed buildings.
The Scale of the Destruction
Monday's 7.4 magnitude earthquake rattled Cali, Quibdo, Pereira, and numerous other cities and towns across western Colombia. Around 1,600 buildings were reported damaged or collapsed entirely, giving a sense of just how widespread and severe the impact has been across the region.
Rescue Efforts on the Ground
Soldiers, rescue personnel, and families have been working through the rubble side by side, removing and passing large pieces of concrete by hand down lines of volunteers — a slow, physically demanding process, but one that's crucial in the hours immediately following an earthquake of this magnitude, when the chances of finding survivors trapped in collapsed structures are highest.
At the site of one collapsed building in Cali, people were seen raising their fists to call for silence, a technique commonly used during search and rescue operations to help rescuers listen for any sounds — voices, tapping, movement — that might indicate survivors are still trapped beneath the debris.
What Comes Next
With search operations still actively underway and the death toll already having crossed 100, authorities and rescue teams are continuing to work through the affected areas, and the full scale of the disaster — including the final casualty count and extent of structural damage — is expected to become clearer as search efforts continue in the coming days.
FAQs
Q1. How strong was the earthquake that struck Colombia?
A 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, affecting cities including Cali, Quibdo, and Pereira.
Q2. How many people have been confirmed dead so far?
At least 111 people have been confirmed dead, with search and rescue operations continuing for those still missing or trapped.
Q3. How much structural damage has been reported?
Around 1,600 buildings have been reported damaged or collapsed across the affected cities and towns in western Colombia.