At least 20 killed in powerful earthquake in Colombia; tremors felt in neighbouring countries
A 7.4-magnitude quake hit northwest Colombia; 18 killed in Pereira, two in Manizales and significant damage reported to airports and churches.
A powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.4 on the Richter scale struck northwestern Colombia early on August 10, 2026, killing at least 20 people and causing widespread damage across several cities.
Authorities said 18 of the victims died in Pereira and two in Manizales. The tremor's epicenter was located about 34 kilometres northwest of Cartago at a depth of 115 kilometres.
In the Pacific coastal department of Chocó, Governor Nubia Carolina Cordoba-Curi reported collapsed buildings and many injured in the departmental capital, Quibdó. Municipal teams reported damage and casualties in other towns, but exact totals were not yet available.
Infrastructure and airports hit
Reports from the field described damage to a cathedral and to more than ten airports across the affected area. In Pereira, facades fell from a number of buildings; in Manizales one of the cathedral towers was damaged. Part of the roof at Matecaña International Airport collapsed and crews were trying to reach people trapped under debris.
The earthquake was felt beyond Colombia’s borders early on August 10, reaching parts of Venezuela, Ecuador and Panama. Officials indicated that a tsunami was not expected.
The powerful shock comes less than two months after a pair of earthquakes struck northern Venezuela, events that killed more than 6,100 people.
Photo: Pedro Ribeiro Simões from Lisboa, Portugal / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
