A massive 7.4-magnitude earthquake tore through western Colombia on Monday, killing at least 111 people and injuring 87 others in what officials are calling the strongest quake to ever hit the country. The tremor struck around 8:34 a.m. near San José del Palmar in the rural Chocó province, roughly 250 miles from Bogotá, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. A 5.0-magnitude aftershock followed less than an hour later.
The worst casualties came from provinces bordering Chocó — 40 deaths were reported in Risaralda, home to the badly damaged city of Pereira, and 27 more in Valle del Cauca, where Cali sits. Chocó’s governor confirmed 12 deaths in her province, while officials in Manizales and Antioquia reported additional fatalities, including a 73-year-old man.
Roughly 10.5 million people felt strong shaking, with tremors reported as far as Bogotá, the coastal city of Barranquilla, and even across the border in Ecuador. In Cali, a city of 2 million, at least 30 buildings collapsed. Pereira’s mayor said 18 people died there, with many still trapped beneath rubble. Airport footage showed ceiling panels crashing down as travelers ran for cover. In Manizales, 17 structures collapsed entirely and 19 more partially fell, including a tower of the city’s historic cathedral.
Flights were grounded at several regional airports, and some residents in Armenia were evacuated over fears of further structural collapse. Bogotá reported no major damage.
Colombia’s president addressed the nation, promising full government support for affected communities. International aid efforts are already forming, with humanitarian groups preparing to send assistance.
The quake marks Colombia’s most powerful since records began in the 1920s. The same coffee-growing region was devastated by a 1999 earthquake that killed over 1,200 people. It also follows a pair of massive quakes that struck neighboring Venezuela in June, which killed more than 5,000 people combined — raising fresh concern about seismic activity along the region’s fault lines.