A powerful seismic event centered in Chocó department leaves dozens dead, damages major infrastructure, and prompts nationwide emergency response.
BOGOTÁ, Colombia – A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia, killing dozens of people, collapsing major buildings, and sending tremors felt across the country and into neighboring Ecuador.
The epicenter of the quake was recorded near San José del Palmar in the Chocó department, roughly 250 miles west of Bogotá, striking at a depth of around 66 miles (107 kilometers). Officials confirmed widespread destruction across several major cities, with heavy casualties reported in Risaralda, Valle del Cauca, and Chocó departments.
In Pereira, the capital of Risaralda province, multiple structures collapsed, trapping victims under rubble and causing severe structural damage to Matecaña International Airport. In Cali, Colombia’s third-largest city, local officials reported that at least two dozen buildings collapsed or experienced severe structural failures, prompting emergency personnel to initiate search-and-rescue operations across the urban area.
Further north in Manizales, Mayor Jorge Eduardo Rojas confirmed severe damage to historic architecture, including the partial collapse of a tower at the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary into the main nave. Flight operations across western Colombia—including airports in Pereira, Quibdó, Armenia, and Manizales—were suspended as civil aviation authorities evaluated runway and terminal infrastructure.
The tremors triggered mass evacuations as far away as Bogotá and Medellín, where residents poured into the streets. While minor structural cracking was noted in suburban areas, officials in the capital reported no immediate major fatalities or building collapses.
President Abelardo de la Espriella declared a national disaster, establishing a Unified Command Post and deploying specialized army search-and-rescue units, canine teams, and heavy machinery to the hardest-hit zones in Chocó and Risaralda. Emergency response agencies warned residents to prepare for potential aftershocks as rescue efforts remain underway.
