Building Collapses Seconds Later
A devastating 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia, claiming more than 250 lives. Videos capture dramatic escapes as residents' homes crumble before their eyes.
A devastating 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia, claiming more than 250 lives. Videos capture dramatic escapes as residents' homes crumble before their eyes.
At least 254 people have been killed and more than 3,000 are reported missing after a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, August 10, 2026. It is the strongest quake recorded in the South American country since 1979. The death toll, as reported by agencies and media, continues to rise, and authorities fear the final number could be even higher given the thousands of injured and the large number of collapsed buildings.
Videos posted on social media show a harrowing scene: residents fleeing their homes in panic, only to have buildings collapse just seconds later. One such clip, shared by Facebook user liliana.perez.944, captures a family escaping their house as the ground shakes and structures give way. The Colombian government has declared a national state of emergency.
The epicenter of the earthquake was located in the department of Chocó in western Colombia. According to data from Swedish television SVT, the quake occurred at a depth of 100 to 110 kilometers, in a zone where the Nazca Plate is subducting beneath the South American Plate. Experts say this depth is key to understanding the extent of the damage.
Although the magnitude was high, seismologist Björn Lund explained to SVT that the depth mitigated the destruction on the surface. "It could have been incredibly much worse if the quake had been shallower," Lund said, adding: "Fortunately, it occurred deep enough, the shaking is less intense on the surface. It probably won't be as severe as in Venezuela or Turkey."
Despite this, the aftermath is catastrophic. The affected area spans approximately 100 by 50 kilometers from the epicenter. In addition to Chocó, the cities of Pereira and Cali were also severely hit. Saul Paz, a resident of Cali, showed SVT the extent of the damage in his neighborhood. About a hundred smaller aftershocks have been recorded, and Lund warns that a stronger aftershock of up to magnitude 6 could occur.
Figures on the number of dead vary from source to source, which is common in the first days after such disasters. French television France 24 reports at least 240 confirmed deaths, while SVT Nyheter cites figures of over 250, or at least 254 dead. Around 100 buildings have collapsed, and the search for survivors under the rubble continues.
Amid the tragedy, stories of hope emerge. Journalist Morgan Ayre, reporting for France 24, says that on Wednesday, August 12, a 32-year-old woman was pulled alive from the rubble of a collapsed building. Rescue teams are tirelessly combing the area in hopes of finding more survivors.
The humanitarian organization Plan International, which already had an extensive aid network in the poorest parts of Colombia, including Chocó and Valle del Cauca, before the earthquake, responded quickly. Nearly 50 of their aid workers were on the ground, but they too were affected by the disaster.
"We have staff whose houses collapsed on them and had to be rescued from the rubble, and many aid workers who lost their homes. But most were able to help with the work," a Plan International representative told SVT, describing the extremely difficult conditions under which aid is being provided.
Residents like Jens Lans and Line Estrada, who had to flee their 13th-floor apartment with their dog, bear witness to the chaos and fear that gripped the moment of the earthquake.
