The earthquake of 10 August 2026
The strongest earthquake Colombia has experienced this century. Here is what we know, with official figures and verifiable sources.
Two minutes that changed a country
On Monday 10 August 2026, at 7:34 in the morning, a magnitude 7.4 earthquake shook western Colombia. The epicenter was located about 5 km south of San José del Palmar, in the department of Chocó, at a depth of nearly 110 kilometers.
Because it was a deep earthquake, its waves traveled far: it was strongly felt in Cali, Pereira, Manizales, Armenia, Quibdó and even in Bogotá. Paradoxically, most casualties were not recorded at the rural epicenter, but in the major cities, where the soil amplified the shaking and buildings collapsed.
Magnitude: 7.4 (USGS) · 7.5 (Colombian Geological Survey)
Depth: ~110 km · Epicenter: San José del Palmar, Chocó
Cause: faulting within the subducting Nazca plate
World Central Kitchen, CC BY 4.0
The figures of the tragedy
Consolidated UNGRD balance as of 13 August 2026. Preliminary figures that may still rise.
Source: UNGRD via El Tiempo, 13 August 2026. See all sources
What was left standing and what was not
76.518 homes
10,677 destroyed and 65,841 damaged; 127 buildings collapsed.
2.136 schools
Educational institutions affected, many in hard-to-reach rural areas.
236 health centers
Hospitals and health posts affected; several hospitals were evacuated.
198 roads
Roads damaged, plus 34 vehicle bridges and 12 pedestrian bridges.
71 aqueducts
Water systems affected, raising the health risk in hit areas.
825 community centers
Community spaces affected that served as gathering points and shelter.
Source: official UNGRD balance, 13 August 2026 (preliminary).
The first days
- 10 Aug · 7:34 a.m.The magnitude 7.4 earthquake shakes western Colombia. Red alert is declared in five capitals and operations are suspended at several airports.
- 10 AugThe government declares a national disaster and takes command of the emergency. The first casualty count rises rapidly.
- 11 AugHumanitarian agencies mobilize. Access to Chocó is complicated by remote terrain and damaged roads; subregions such as San Juan and Baudó are cut off.
- 12 AugThe UN scales up its response. Search-and-rescue continues as the casualty count keeps rising.
- 13 AugOfficial balance: 281 dead, 3,971 injured, 379 missing and 102,105 people affected across 15 departments.
Sources: UNGRD, UN/OCHA, El Tiempo, El Colombiano, CNN, Al Jazeera. Preliminary figures as of 13 August 2026.
The face of the earthquake
Images from the affected areas. Each photograph includes its credit and license.
Photographs under Creative Commons license. Full credits
Colombia rises with everyone's help
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