Overview
- The U.S. Geological Survey and Colombia’s Geological Service recorded a 7.4-magnitude quake near San José del Palmar on Monday, Aug. 10, with a deep epicenter of about 100 kilometres that produced strong shaking across the country.
- Casualty figures remain unstable with reports ranging from dozens to more than a hundred dead and hundreds injured as search-and-rescue teams continue to pull people from collapsed buildings in Pereira, Cali, Manizales and Quibdó.
- Dozens of buildings were reported to have collapsed, hospitals and schools suffered damage, and regional air travel was halted after Aeronáutica Civil suspended operations at multiple airports for structural inspections.
- President Abelardo de la Espriella took personal charge of a unified emergency command and mobilized national rescuers while foreign governments and the U.S. pledged aid, including a $15.5 million emergency package from the State Department.
- Relief and recovery face major challenges because the quake hit a remote, poor part of Chocó and produced aftershocks that slow access and rubble clearance, and the event follows destructive twin quakes in neighbouring Venezuela that have stretched regional humanitarian capacity.