A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, August 10, causing widespread destruction across the country's coffee-growing heartland, Pacific region, and central Andes. Described as the strongest earthquake recorded in Colombia in a decade, the quake flattened dozens of buildings and damaged hundreds more. President Abelardo de la Espriella, who was sworn in just days before the disaster, has declared a national state of disaster as his new administration faces its first major crisis amid strained finances.
The death toll has risen steeply, with at least 254 people reported dead so far. Authorities warn that casualties are likely to climb as the true scale of the destruction emerges. More than 2,700 people were reported missing on Monday night, with many feared trapped under collapsed buildings in dozens of cities and towns.
Rescue efforts carried into a second day on Tuesday, with emergency crews and civilians painstakingly searching through rubble. In Cali, the country's third-largest city, volunteers have formed lines to move concrete debris while dogs and drones are deployed to locate survivors. Some rescuers in Cali reported hearing screams from beneath the wreckage in a race against time to find the living.
To support emergency crews and deter looting, the cities of Cali, Pereira, and Caldas have imposed night-time curfews. Mayors and governors from Cali, Pereira, Choco, and Manizales reported at least 179 deaths within those four areas. Search teams continue to sift through collapsed buildings as they work to reach more isolated communities.