Earthquake in Colombia leaves at least 20 dead and collapsed buildings with people trapped

Residents and rescue teams search through the rubble of a collapsed building after an earthquake hit Cali, Colombia, on Monday, Aug. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Santiago Saldarriaga) 2026-08-10T13:20:29Z BOGOTÁ (AP) — A 7.4-magnitude earthquake with an epicenter in Colombia’s Pacific region shook much of the country Monday, killing at least 20 people, injuring several others and leaving people trapped in collapsed buildings, authorities said.

The quake struck at 7:34 a.m. local time (12:34 p.m. GMT) and had its epicenter in San José del Palmar, a municipality in the northwestern department of Chocó, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. San José del Palmar is a small municipality with a population of about 4,700 people. The deaths were reported in two cities in the country’s west-central region and among those most affected by the earthquake.

“So far, we have registered 18 people dead, unfortunately, and in the city a very high number of collapsed buildings,” Pereira Mayor Mauricio Salazar told Caracol Radio. Pereira is the capital of the Risaralda department. Two other people died in Manizales, in the Caldas department, the city’s mayor, José Eduardo Rojas, said in a video on social media platform X. He added that there are 12 buildings partially or totally destroyed and 20 homes collapsed.

Meanwhile, Cali Mayor Alejandro Eder reported 19 collapsed structures with people trapped, and requested support with rescuers. Cali is in the Valle del Cauca department in the southwestern part of the country. Chocó Gov. Nubia Córdoba said in Quibdó, the department’s capital, “there are injured people and serious damage to buildings,” without specifying the number.