Summary

  • At least 26 people have died after a powerful earthquake hit western Colombia, according to local officials

  • The magnitude-7.4 quake struck on Monday at 07:34 (12:34 GMT) at a depth of 107km (66 miles), the US Geological Survey says

  • The epicentre was in San José del Palmar, in the Chocó region

  • Shaking was felt across the country, as well as in neighbouring Venezuela, Ecuador and Panama

  • It comes less than two months after twin quakes devastated parts of Venezuela, killing more than 6,100 people

  • Follow BBC Mundo's live coverage in Spanish here

Live Reporting

Edited by Caitlin Wilson, Oliver O'Connell, Kathryn Armstrong and Jack Burgess

  1. Bogotá stands in solidarity as no serious structural reported in capital

    People evacuate buildings in Bogota, Colombia, following a strong earthquake on 10 August 2026.EPA/Shutterstock

    No serious structural damage has been reported in Colombia's capital, according to the city's mayor.

    Carlos Fernando Galán, mayor of Bogotá, says the capital's capabilities are "at the service of the country" and the cities most affected by the earthquake.

    In a statement on X, Galán says 100 rescuers are already prepared to head to CATAM - a military airport in Bogotá - and they will then proceed to the cities prioritised by Colombia's national government.

    "We stand in solidarity with the affected cities," he adds.

  2. No tsunami threat to Colombia's Pacific coast

    There is no tsunami threat to Colombia's Pacific coast following the 7.4 magnitude earthquake, according to the country's National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD).

    UNGRD attributes the update to the Colombian Maritime Authority in a statement on X.

  3. US government 'ready to support' Colombia after earthquake - Rubio

    U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks during a memorandum of understanding signing ceremony with Paraguayan Vice President Pedro Alliana on strategic civil nuclear cooperation, at the State Department in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 4, 2026Reuters

    The United States government is "closely monitoring" the earthquake that has struck Colombia and "stands ready to support", according to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

    He advises US citizens in Colombia to register their presence online with the US State Department and follow official channels for the latest information.

  4. Evacuations and rescue efforts underway

    We can bring you now some images from Colombia after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck.

    Rescue efforts are underway, with many looking under rubble for anyone who could be trapped.

    People being evacuated from a collapsed building after an earthquake in Cali, Colombia,EPA/Shuttershock

    People being evacuated from a collapsed building after an earthquake in Cali, Colombia,

    Students evacuating from the Republica de Costa Rica school in La Chorrera, south-west of Panama CityEPA/Shuttershock

    Students evacuating from the Republica de Costa Rica school in La Chorrera, south-west of Panama City

    People walking through the rubbleEPA/Shuttershock

    People walking through the rubble, at least 20 buildings have sustained damage

  5. BBC Verify

    Hospitals in city of Cali damaged by quake

    Damage has been seen across the west of the city, including at medical centresX

    By Richard Irvine-Brown, Kumar Malhotra and Emma Pengelly

    Videos from the city of Cali, 200km (130 miles) to the south west of Manizales, has also show the scale of damage the quake has brought.

    One video, filmed from the high hills overlooking the city shows giant plumes of dust and debris thrown up across the west of the city.

    Another shows the façade of an EPS Sanitas, a Colombian healthcare provider, collapsing onto ambulances along a crowded street.

    Meanwhile, a third video shows five of the six storeys of a wing of the Valle Evaristo Garcia university hospital have collapsed.

  6. Schools and universities shut in regional capital

    All classes have been suspended in the schools and universities of Manizales, the capital of Colombia's Caldas region.

    Located less than 100km (62 miles) from the epicentre of the quake, the mayor's office for Manizales urged schools and pupils to "stay tuned to official channels" to learn about new provisions.

  7. Where did the quake take place?

    BBC map of South America showing where the quake hit

    The epicentre of the earthquake is in western Colombia.

    It sits roughly halfway between the cities of Cali and Medellín.

    But people across the country and the wider region have reported feeling the tremors.

  8. Village closest to epicentre 'completely cut off'

    Vanessa Buschschlüter
    Latin America and Caribbean editor

    The mayor of San José del Palmar, the village closest to the quake's epicentre, says it has been "completely cut off" as the main roads in and out have been damaged.

    The mayor, León Fabio Marín Moncada, told Colombia's FM Radio that thankfully no lives had been lost and no one had been injured in San José.

    However, at least five homes had been completely destroyed and many more were damaged, with their roofs caved in and their walls showing deep cracks.

    He described the quake as being "very strong and very long-lasting" and asked for heavy machinery to be sent to clear the roads which had been blocked by debris.

  9. Death toll rises to 26, including three children killed by wall collapse
    Breaking

    Valle del Cauca Governor Dilian Francisca Toro reports that three children died in the municipality of Calima El Darién after a wall collapsed.

    Another person died in Zarzal, according to Toro.

    "The situation is serious," she noted while speaking from the Valle University Hospital.

    The mayor of Buenaventura—located in the same department—reported at least one death and collapsed bridges.

    The five deaths in Valle are in addition to the three reported by authorities in Manizales and the 18 in Pereira.

  10. Strongest quake in a decade, with two aftershocks recorded so far

    The Colombian Geological Service confirms that the earthquake is the strongest recorded in Colombia in the last decade.

    "So far, two aftershocks have been recorded, with magnitudes of 2.8 and 4.8, the latter being widely felt," the service says in an update on X.

    The earthquake, it says, was felt as far away as Venezuela, Ecuador, and Panama.

    The agency will provide "official and timely information as new data become available".

  11. BBC Verify

    Damage seen across city of Manizales, including building collapse

    Videos show part-collapse of a Cathedral clocktower and total collapse of a building on Avenue SantanderX

    By Richard Irvine-Brown and Sherie Ryder

    BBC Verify has authenticated two clips from the Colombian city of Manizales, showing the extent of destruction brought by the earthquake.

    On the western side of the city, damage to buildings can be seen including the clocktower of the Cathedral Basilica now slumped at a dangerous angle.

    Meanwhile, a video from the eastern side shows a five-storey building collapsing while people are evacuated from the city's Catholic University across the street.

  12. Several airports shut due to damage caused by earthquake

    Colombia's civil aviation authority, Aeronáutica Civil, says operations have been suspended at least seven airports in Colombia following the earthquake.

    It says damage has been reported at Pereira, Manizales, Quibdó, Armenia, Cartago, and Buenaventura airports, and so operations have been suspended for safety reasons.

    In addition, operations at Popayán Airport has been suspended due to the presence of ash from the Puracé volcano.

    The agency says it will "continue to monitor the situation and will report any developments in a timely manner".

  13. Earthquake epicentre in San Jose del Palmar - USGS

    The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has released a shake map of the 7.4 magnitude quake that struck western Colombia.

    It shows that the epicentre occurred 107km (66 miles) deep in San Jose del Palmar, in the nation's Chocó region, with both "strong" to "very strong" shaking recorded across a much a wider area.

    A handout shakemap made available by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) shows the location of a 7.4-magnitude earthquake hitting western Colombia, 10 August 2026. The epicenter of the earthquake was recorded in San Jose del Palmar, Choco department, at a depth of 107 kilometers, the USGS reported. 7.4-magnitude earthquake hits Colombia, San Jose Del PalmaUSGC

  14. I stepped out of a taxi to see shaking trees and buildings in Bogotá

    José Carlos Cueto
    BBC Mundo correspondent, reporting from Colombia

    Around 7:34 am (13:34 BST), the taxi I was traveling in through Bogotá started to shake.

    The driver and I got out and went into the street, with the ground moving under our feet.

    There were trembling trees, traffic lights and buildings.

    People had gathered outside their houses and workplaces.

    The quake seemed to last about two minutes.

    In an early report, Bogotá Mayor Carlos Fernand Galán says there are some cracks, but no major damage to infrastructure.

  15. People trapped as 20 buildings collapse in Cali, says mayor
    Breaking

    At least 20 buildings have collapsed in Cali, with people trapped inside, according to the city's mayor.

    Speaking to Reuters news agency, Alejandro Eder says he has requested support with rescue workers from the mayor of Bogota and the mayor of Medellin.

    Eder asks citizens to remain calm and to check for any apparent structural damage at their homes.

    "If you don't feel safe, if you see very large cracks, please exit the building," he adds.

    People walk through the rubble of a collapsed buildingEPA

    People walk through the rubble of a collapsed building in Cali, Colombia

  16. Social media footage captures distraught scenes

    The BBC is working to verify social media footage of the earthquakes.

    Some of the clips we've confirmed as authentic show distraught scenes as people react to the destruction happening around them.

    One video shows the collapse of an entire section of what appears to be an apartment building, with people screaming as they watch from the street.

    Another shows damage to Manizales Catheral, where a clock tower is now leaning heavily to one side.

    Footage from a hospital shows people fleeing between parked ambulances as part of the building's facade crumbles.

    People are shown clambering through piles of rubble outside a hospital, beside a parked ambulance.Reuters

  17. Two more deaths reported
    Breaking

    There are also two people dead in city of Manizales, the mayor told Colombia's Blu Radio.

    That brings the toll to at least 20 people dead after the quake, according to local officials.

  18. At least 18 dead in Colombia earthquake
    Breaking

    At least 18 people have died after a large earthquake struck western Colombia, according to the mayor of the city of Pereira.

    Mauricio Salazar told Caracol Radio that 18 people were killed and others were trapped in collapsed buildings.

  19. In pictures: Initial scenes of damage across Colombia

    Here are some of the first pictures we're receiving from on the ground in Colombia:

    People stand around piles of rubble that have collapsed into the middle of a suburban street.Getty Images

    Rubble on a street in Manizales, Colombia

    A woman in tears holding a phone to the side of her face is comforted by another woman, who has her arm around her.Getty Images

    People in Bogotá react as they evacuate after the earthquake

    Part of a cathedral's tower is shown partially damaged and heavily leaning to one side.Getty Images

    Manizales Cathedral is among buildings damaged by the earthquake

    Brickwork is shown collapsed onto a row of parked cars against a building.EPA/Shutterstock

    Vehicles crushed by a collapsed wall are seen in Cali, Colombia

  20. Injuries and damage after 'major' earthquake - regional governor

    The governor of Colombia's western region of Chocó says the earthquake has caused "injuries and serious damage to buildings" in the region's capital of Quibdó.

    Nubia Carolina Córdoba-Curi writes on X that the region has "experienced a major earthquake" and is "concerned about aftershocks".

    She says injuries and damage to buildings have occurred despite the epicentre being located in nearby San José del Palmar.

    "We are already conducting a damage assessment to issue the first official report," Córdoba-Curi adds.