A 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, killing at least 111 people and injuring 87 others. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Colombian authorities reported the epicenter was in San José del Palmar, located in the rural Chocó province approximately 250 miles west of Bogotá.
The earthquake is the strongest recorded in Colombia since record-keeping began in the 1920s. Following the initial quake, the USGS reported a 5.0-magnitude aftershock less than an hour later. Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella declared a state of emergency to expedite recovery funding as search teams began working through collapsed buildings in several major cities.
Casualties were reported across several regions, with 40 deaths in Risaralda, 27 in Valle del Cauca, 12 in Chocó, and four in Caldas. In Cali, Mayor Alejandro Eder reported 30 collapsed structures, while Pereira Mayor Mauricio Salazar stated that many residents remained trapped under rubble. The earthquake also caused the collapse of a tower at the neo-Gothic cathedral in Manizales.
The scale of the disaster involves a confirmed death toll of at least 111 individuals and dozens of injuries, with the potential for these numbers to rise as search teams clear debris from dozens of collapsed buildings. The suspension of flights at five regional airports—Pereira, Manizales, Armenia, Cartago, and Buenaventura—disrupts travel and logistics for a region home to millions, potentially slowing the arrival of aid and commercial activity. For individual households, this event represents a sudden loss of housing and infrastructure in a country situated on the seismically active "Ring of Fire."
The emergency declaration by President de la Espriella sets a precedent for rapid federal intervention and funding allocation in response to seismic events of this magnitude. While U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated the U.S. stands ready to support Colombia, specific aid amounts or arrival dates have not been reported. Recovery efforts and search-and-rescue operations are currently ongoing, and the suspension of regional air travel remains in effect until further notice.