{"id":37648,"date":"2026-08-11T01:48:49","date_gmt":"2026-08-10T20:48:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=37648"},"modified":"2026-08-11T01:48:49","modified_gmt":"2026-08-10T20:48:49","slug":"what-to-know-about-the-earthquake-in-colombia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=37648","title":{"rendered":"What to Know About the Earthquake in Colombia"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"article-body\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"font-graphik\" data-testid=\"paragraph-content\">\n<div>\n<p data-testid=\"paragraph-element\" class=\"rich-text mb-6 font-graphik text-body-large text-black-coffee focus-visible:outline focus-visible:outline-black-coffee focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-offset-2 focus-visible:shadow-focus-color dropcap text-left\">A 7.4-magnitude <a href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/7306552\/five-strongest-earthquakes-ever-recorded\/\" target=\"_self\">earthquake<\/a> rattled western Colombia on Monday, causing widespread destruction and leaving at least 111 people dead.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p data-testid=\"paragraph-element\" class=\"rich-text mb-6 font-graphik text-body-large text-black-coffee focus-visible:outline focus-visible:outline-black-coffee focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-offset-2 focus-visible:shadow-focus-color text-left\">Colombian President Abelardo De La Espriella, who was sworn into office just days before the disaster struck the nation, said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ABDELAESPRIELLA\/status\/2086808242345107787\" target=\"undefined\">post on X<\/a> on Monday morning that he had \u201cdirectly assumed leadership of the emergency response.\u201d In <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ABDELAESPRIELLA\/status\/2086823846384906312\" target=\"undefined\">another post<\/a> that morning, he said that he was traveling to the nation\u2019s capital, Bogot\u00e1, \u201cto focus on addressing the emergency facing our country.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"font-graphik\" data-testid=\"paragraph-content\">\n<div>\n<p data-testid=\"paragraph-element\" class=\"rich-text mb-6 font-graphik text-body-large text-black-coffee focus-visible:outline focus-visible:outline-black-coffee focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-offset-2 focus-visible:shadow-focus-color text-left\">\u201cTo the Colombians who are going through difficult times today, I want to say: you are not alone,\u201d he said. \u201cYou have a President who cares deeply for his people and who will do everything necessary to protect you, support you, and move forward together in rebuilding the affected regions.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p data-testid=\"paragraph-element\" class=\"rich-text mb-6 font-graphik text-body-large text-black-coffee focus-visible:outline focus-visible:outline-black-coffee focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-offset-2 focus-visible:shadow-focus-color text-left\">Here\u2019s what to know about the earthquake.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><h2 id=\"when-and-where-did-the-earthquake-happen\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 font-editorial text-black-coffee text-mobile-h2 lg:scroll-mt-28 lg:text-h2 mb-4\">When and where did the earthquake happen?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p data-testid=\"paragraph-element\" class=\"rich-text mb-6 font-graphik text-body-large text-black-coffee focus-visible:outline focus-visible:outline-black-coffee focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-offset-2 focus-visible:shadow-focus-color text-left\">The epicenter of the earthquake was near San Jos\u00e9 del Palmar, which is a community west of the country\u2019s capital that has a <a href=\"https:\/\/worldpopulationreview.com\/cities\/colombia\/san-jose-del-palmar\" target=\"undefined\">population of 5,000<\/a> and is located in the Choc\u00f3 region. Other cities nearby, including Pereira, Manizales, and Cali, were impacted, too.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p data-testid=\"paragraph-element\" class=\"rich-text mb-6 font-graphik text-body-large text-black-coffee focus-visible:outline focus-visible:outline-black-coffee focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-offset-2 focus-visible:shadow-focus-color text-left\">Neighboring countries, including Venezuela, Ecuador, and Panama, also felt the quake.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<figure data-cslp-field-type=\"Asset\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 1024px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.time.com\/v3\/assets\/bltea6093859af6183b\/blt382fe89f32c98447\/6a7a21162378b2d98c3f329c\/Colombia-Earthquake-2.jpg?branch=production&amp;width=1080&amp;quality=75&amp;auto=webp 1x, https:\/\/static.time.com\/v3\/assets\/bltea6093859af6183b\/blt382fe89f32c98447\/6a7a21162378b2d98c3f329c\/Colombia-Earthquake-2.jpg?branch=production&amp;width=2400&amp;quality=75&amp;auto=webp 2x\" height=\"682\" width=\"1024\"\/><img alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"h-auto w-full object-cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.time.com\/v3\/assets\/bltea6093859af6183b\/blt382fe89f32c98447\/6a7a21162378b2d98c3f329c\/Colombia-Earthquake-2.jpg?branch=production&amp;width=1080&amp;quality=75&amp;auto=webp 1x, https:\/\/static.time.com\/v3\/assets\/bltea6093859af6183b\/blt382fe89f32c98447\/6a7a21162378b2d98c3f329c\/Colombia-Earthquake-2.jpg?branch=production&amp;width=2400&amp;quality=75&amp;auto=webp 2x\" src=\"https:\/\/static.time.com\/v3\/assets\/bltea6093859af6183b\/blt382fe89f32c98447\/6a7a21162378b2d98c3f329c\/Colombia-Earthquake-2.jpg?branch=production&amp;width=2400&amp;quality=75&amp;auto=webp\" style=\"color:transparent\"\/><\/picture><figcaption class=\"py-1\">\n<p class=\"rich-text font-graphik-compact text-caption-small text-grey-1\"><span>The damage sustained by the Manizales Cathedral are pictured after the earthquake in Manizales, Colombia, on Aug. 10, 2026.<\/span> <span class=\" italic\">Andres Valencia\u2014AFP\/Getty Images<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"font-graphik mt-8\" data-testid=\"paragraph-content\">\n<p><h2 id=\"how-strong-was-the-earthquake\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 font-editorial text-black-coffee text-mobile-h2 lg:scroll-mt-28 lg:text-h2 mb-4\">How strong was the earthquake?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p data-testid=\"paragraph-element\" class=\"rich-text mb-6 font-graphik text-body-large text-black-coffee mt-8 focus-visible:outline focus-visible:outline-black-coffee focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-offset-2 focus-visible:shadow-focus-color text-left\">USGS reported that the earthquake that struck Colombia had a 7.4 magnitude. \u201cMagnitude\u201d indicates the size of a quake\u2014one with a 5.3 magnitude, for instance, is a \u201cmoderate\u201d quake, whereas one with a 6.3 is considered \u201cstrong,\u201d according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usgs.gov\/programs\/earthquake-hazards\/earthquake-magnitude-energy-release-and-shaking-intensity\" target=\"undefined\">USGS<\/a>. The <a href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/article\/2026\/06\/25\/venezuela-earthquake-doublet-magnitude-casualties-explainer\/\" target=\"undefined\">back-to-back quakes<\/a> that shook Venezuela in June and left <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2026\/8\/3\/death-toll-from-venezuela-earthquakes-passes-6000\" target=\"undefined\">more than 6,000 people dead<\/a> each had a magnitude above 7.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p data-testid=\"paragraph-element\" class=\"rich-text mb-6 font-graphik text-body-large text-black-coffee mt-8 focus-visible:outline focus-visible:outline-black-coffee focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-offset-2 focus-visible:shadow-focus-color text-left\">The Colombian Geological Service <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/sgcol\/status\/2086831746885034350\" target=\"undefined\">reported<\/a> that the quake had a depth of about 103 km, in addition to its 7.4 magnitude, \u201cmaking it the strongest earthquake recorded in Colombia in the last decade.\u201d The agency also said that two aftershocks\u2014with magnitudes of 2.8 and 4.8\u2014have been recorded so far on Monday<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"font-graphik mt-8 mb-8\" data-testid=\"paragraph-content\">\n<p><h2 id=\"what-is-the-death-toll\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 font-editorial text-black-coffee text-mobile-h2 lg:scroll-mt-28 lg:text-h2 mb-4\">What is the death toll?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p data-testid=\"paragraph-element\" class=\"rich-text font-graphik text-body-large text-black-coffee mt-8 mb-8 focus-visible:outline focus-visible:outline-black-coffee focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-offset-2 focus-visible:shadow-focus-color text-left\">The disaster in Colombia left at least 111 people dead, according to the AP. The majority of the deaths reported so far occurred in the region of Risaralda\u2014the capital of which is Pereira\u2014where at least 40 people were killed, the AP reported. Authorities said that at least 27 more people were killed in the nearby region of Valle del Cauca.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p data-testid=\"paragraph-element\" class=\"rich-text font-graphik text-body-large text-black-coffee mt-8 mb-8 focus-visible:outline focus-visible:outline-black-coffee focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-offset-2 focus-visible:shadow-focus-color text-left\">De La Espriella said on Monday that at least 87 people were wounded by the quake, the AP reported.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<figure data-cslp-field-type=\"Asset\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 1024px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.time.com\/v3\/assets\/bltea6093859af6183b\/blt78e113e7be12b03f\/6a7a21742378b2029f3f32c0\/Colombia-Earthquake-3.jpg?branch=production&amp;width=1080&amp;quality=75&amp;auto=webp 1x, https:\/\/static.time.com\/v3\/assets\/bltea6093859af6183b\/blt78e113e7be12b03f\/6a7a21742378b2029f3f32c0\/Colombia-Earthquake-3.jpg?branch=production&amp;width=2400&amp;quality=75&amp;auto=webp 2x\" height=\"683\" width=\"1024\"\/><img alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"h-auto w-full object-cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.time.com\/v3\/assets\/bltea6093859af6183b\/blt78e113e7be12b03f\/6a7a21742378b2029f3f32c0\/Colombia-Earthquake-3.jpg?branch=production&amp;width=1080&amp;quality=75&amp;auto=webp 1x, https:\/\/static.time.com\/v3\/assets\/bltea6093859af6183b\/blt78e113e7be12b03f\/6a7a21742378b2029f3f32c0\/Colombia-Earthquake-3.jpg?branch=production&amp;width=2400&amp;quality=75&amp;auto=webp 2x\" src=\"https:\/\/static.time.com\/v3\/assets\/bltea6093859af6183b\/blt78e113e7be12b03f\/6a7a21742378b2029f3f32c0\/Colombia-Earthquake-3.jpg?branch=production&amp;width=2400&amp;quality=75&amp;auto=webp\" style=\"color:transparent\"\/><\/picture><figcaption class=\"py-1\">\n<p class=\"rich-text font-graphik-compact text-caption-small text-grey-1\"><span>A police officer walks amid the debris of a damaged commercial store after the earthquake in Manizales, Colombia, on Aug. 10, 2026.<\/span> <span class=\" italic\">Jonh Bonilla\u2014AFP\/Getty Images<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"font-graphik mt-8\" data-testid=\"paragraph-content\">\n<p><h2 id=\"what-damage-has-been-reported\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 font-editorial text-black-coffee text-mobile-h2 lg:scroll-mt-28 lg:text-h2 mb-4\">What damage has been reported?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p data-testid=\"paragraph-element\" class=\"rich-text mb-6 font-graphik text-body-large text-black-coffee mt-8 focus-visible:outline focus-visible:outline-black-coffee focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-offset-2 focus-visible:shadow-focus-color text-left\">The total extent of the damage caused by the earthquake is not yet clear hours after it hit, but videos and photos shared by news outlets showed buildings in multiple cities collapsing and being destroyed by the disaster.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"font-graphik mt-8\" data-testid=\"paragraph-content\">\n<div>\n<p data-testid=\"paragraph-element\" class=\"rich-text mb-6 font-graphik text-body-large text-black-coffee mt-8 focus-visible:outline focus-visible:outline-black-coffee focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-offset-2 focus-visible:shadow-focus-color text-left\">Local officials said that they had received reports of many people trapped under buildings that had collapsed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p data-testid=\"paragraph-element\" class=\"rich-text mb-6 font-graphik text-body-large text-black-coffee mt-8 focus-visible:outline focus-visible:outline-black-coffee focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-offset-2 focus-visible:shadow-focus-color text-left\">The International Rescue Committee (IRC) said that its teams are monitoring the situation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p data-testid=\"paragraph-element\" class=\"rich-text mb-6 font-graphik text-body-large text-black-coffee mt-8 focus-visible:outline focus-visible:outline-black-coffee focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-offset-2 focus-visible:shadow-focus-color text-left\">&#8220;Our teams near the epicenter in Choc\u00f3 are reporting damages to infrastructure, including to hospitals and clinics,&#8221; Nicole Kast, IRC&#8217;s Country Director for Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador, said in a statement. &#8220;Impacted communities were already facing armed conflict and high levels of poverty before the ground began to shake. The IRC is monitoring the situation and stands ready to scale up its response as the full extent of the destruction becomes clear.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p data-testid=\"paragraph-element\" class=\"rich-text mb-6 font-graphik text-body-large text-black-coffee mt-8 focus-visible:outline focus-visible:outline-black-coffee focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-offset-2 focus-visible:shadow-focus-color text-left\">Colombia\u2019s civil aviation authority said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/AerocivilCol\/status\/2086813318690316725\" target=\"undefined\">post on X<\/a> on Monday morning that it had received reports of damage at airports in Pereira, Manizales, Quibd\u00f3, Armenia, Cartago, and Buenaventura, and that operations there were being suspended \u201cfor safety reasons\u201d until the damage had been assessed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<figure data-cslp-field-type=\"Asset\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 1024px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.time.com\/v3\/assets\/bltea6093859af6183b\/blt5ace99bc17bbe1a5\/6a7a21b3bf22b26a4195b666\/Colombia-Earthquake-4.jpg?branch=production&amp;width=1080&amp;quality=75&amp;auto=webp 1x, https:\/\/static.time.com\/v3\/assets\/bltea6093859af6183b\/blt5ace99bc17bbe1a5\/6a7a21b3bf22b26a4195b666\/Colombia-Earthquake-4.jpg?branch=production&amp;width=2400&amp;quality=75&amp;auto=webp 2x\" height=\"683\" width=\"1024\"\/><img alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"h-auto w-full object-cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.time.com\/v3\/assets\/bltea6093859af6183b\/blt5ace99bc17bbe1a5\/6a7a21b3bf22b26a4195b666\/Colombia-Earthquake-4.jpg?branch=production&amp;width=1080&amp;quality=75&amp;auto=webp 1x, https:\/\/static.time.com\/v3\/assets\/bltea6093859af6183b\/blt5ace99bc17bbe1a5\/6a7a21b3bf22b26a4195b666\/Colombia-Earthquake-4.jpg?branch=production&amp;width=2400&amp;quality=75&amp;auto=webp 2x\" src=\"https:\/\/static.time.com\/v3\/assets\/bltea6093859af6183b\/blt5ace99bc17bbe1a5\/6a7a21b3bf22b26a4195b666\/Colombia-Earthquake-4.jpg?branch=production&amp;width=2400&amp;quality=75&amp;auto=webp\" style=\"color:transparent\"\/><\/picture><figcaption class=\"py-1\">\n<p class=\"rich-text font-graphik-compact text-caption-small text-grey-1\"><span>An elderly woman is carried on furniture near a collapsed building after an earthquake in Cali, Colombia, on Aug. 10, 2026.<\/span> <span class=\" italic\">Joaquin Sarmiento\u2014AFP\/Getty Images<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-graphik mt-8\" data-testid=\"paragraph-content\">\n<p><h2 id=\"is-there-a-tsunami-threat-after-the-earthquake\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 font-editorial text-black-coffee text-mobile-h2 lg:scroll-mt-28 lg:text-h2 mb-4\">Is there a tsunami threat after the earthquake?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p data-testid=\"paragraph-element\" class=\"rich-text mb-6 font-graphik text-body-large text-black-coffee mt-8 focus-visible:outline focus-visible:outline-black-coffee focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-offset-2 focus-visible:shadow-focus-color text-left\">While earthquakes can sometimes trigger tsunamis, the U.S. Tsunami Warning System <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tsunami.gov\/\" target=\"undefined\">said<\/a> on Monday that there was no warning, advisory, watch, or threat for a tsunami after the earthquake in Colombia.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A 7.4-magnitude earthquake rattled western Colombia on Monday, causing widespread destruction and leaving at least 111 people dead. Colombian President Abelardo De La Espriella, who was sworn into office just days before the disaster struck the nation, said in a post on X on Monday morning that he had \u201cdirectly assumed leadership of the emergency&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":37649,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static.time.com\/v3\/assets\/bltea6093859af6183b\/blt2786fec98b18c2e9\/6a7a201d20670554e3408643\/Colombia-Earthquake.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-37648","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pics-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37648","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=37648"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37648\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/37649"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=37648"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=37648"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=37648"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}