What we know so far
• Growing death toll: At least 132 people have died and 570 have been injured as a result of the magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck in western Colombia, according to the Colombian Association of Capital Cities. You can track developments here, in maps and charts.
• Rescue efforts: Emergency responders are racing to dig people out of the rubble. Among the collapsed structures were the pediatric and neonatal sections of a hospital in Cali. The government has declared a national disaster and deployed soldiers to the area.
• Where it happened: The epicenter was located in San José del Palmar, in an underdeveloped area of western Colombia, about 150 miles west of Bogotá. The tremor was felt strongly in the nation’s capital, with alarms sounding and people evacuating to the streets as a precaution.
Monday's quake bears remnants of the 1999 tragedy which struck the same area
Monday’s powerful earthquake in Colombia bears remnants of another tragedy which struck the same region more than 25 years ago.
On January 25, 1999, a magnitude 6.1 earthquake hit Colombia’s coffee growing region, leaving 1,185 people dead and more than 8,500 injured, and destroying 35,972 homes, according to data from Colombia’s National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE).
Most of the deaths (about 921) and damage occurred in the city of Armenia, in western Colombia’s mountainous coffee-growing region, which has also been one of the hardest hit by today’s quake.
“I was very young, but I remember that tragedy too. And now it’s happening again in that same Coffee Axis region—in Pereira and Manizales. I don’t even want to think about what those people are going through. It’s all very sad,” Carlos Atuesta, a professor at the National University, told CNN.
The 1999 tragedy prompted Colombia to better prepare itself for major earthquakes; now, evacuation drills are conducted at least twice a year in cities such as Bogotá, Medellín, Baranquilla and Cali.
State Department "actively assisting" Americans in Colombia
The US State Department is “actively assisting” Americans affected by the magnitude 7.4 earthquake in Colombia, according to an X post from the US embassy in Bogotá.
Tens of thousands of Americans visit Colombia every year, forming the largest share of tourists to the country.
Footage shows buildings collapsing in Pereira during quake
Videos geolocated by CNN shows the moments several buildings in the Colombian city of Pereira collapsed during the deadly 7.4 magnitude earthquake that struck the South American nation on Monday.
In Pereira, the municipality which has recorded the highest number of fatalities, social media footage showed the moment a building collapsed and engulfed onlookers with dust and debris in the city’s Bolivar Plaza.
Another video geolocated by CNN shows people running for cover as another building collapses in Pereira.
At least 60 people have died in Pereira alone according to the Colombian Association of Capital Cities, which earlier took part in an disaster response meeting with President Abelardo de la Espriella.
In pictures: Colombia continues rescue efforts following 7.4 magnitude earthquake
At least 132 people have died, and 570 have been injured as a result of the earthquake that struck early Monday in western Colombia, according to the Colombian Association of Capital Cities.
Emergency responders are racing to dig people out of the rubble. Among the collapsed structures were the pediatric and neonatal sections of a hospital in Cali, and the government has declared a national disaster and deployed soldiers to the area.
Scroll through for photos of the scene in Colombia after the earthquake:
Sixteen people rescued from cable car system after being trapped for six hours
Sixteen people were rescued from an aerial cable car system in the western Colombian city of Pereira, the city’s mayor’s office said Monday.
The passengers were inside the cable car cabins when the powerful earthquake struck Monday morning and were successfully evacuated roughly six hours later, around 1:30 p.m. local time, the statement said.
Service on Pereira’s cable car system will remain suspended until further notice while safety inspections are conducted, the statement said.
Aerial cable cars are a popular form of public transit in Colombia, connecting commuters in hillside communities with city centers.
Manizales, another city in Colombia’s mountainous coffee region, also had to evacuate passengers and suspend service on its cable car system due to structural damage, the city’s mayor said earlier.
Earthquake death toll rises to 132, Colombian association says
At least 132 people have died, and 570 have been injured as a result of the magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck earlier Monday, according to the Colombian Association of Capital Cities, which earlier took part in an disaster response meeting with the president.
The city of Pereira has reported 60 deaths alone, the association said.
Five capital cities across the country are in a red alert, 86 buildings have collapsed and seven airports have suspended operations, the association added.
Karol G's foundation is working to address emergency in Colombia, singer says
Colombian singer Karol G said on social media Monday that her foundation Con Cora is working to address the emergency in the country and “find the best way to support affected families” after the 7.4 magnitude earthquake.
Karol G is among several Colombian artists and celebrities who have expressed solidarity with those affected.
Earlier, Shakira offered a message of support, saying, “My heart is with everyone who felt this earthquake today and with the families who are going through moments of anguish.”
US committing $15.5 million for earthquake response in Colombia
The United States is committing $15.5 million in funding to Colombia for shelter, food, protection and earthquake assessments after a magnitude 7.4 quake struck the country today, the State Department announced Monday on X.
What do earthquakes in Colombia and Venezuela have in common, and how do they differ?
The 7.4 magnitude earthquake that struck Colombia occurred just over a month after two quakes killed more than 6,300 people in neighboring Venezuela. Other than sharing the same tectonic plate, however, the tremors don’t have much in common, according to a geology expert.
“The geological and geotectonic context is completely different,” said Gustavo Ortiz, a PhD in geological sciences from Argentina’s National Scientific and Technical Research Council.
In western South America, quakes often strike when one plate — in this case the Nazca Plate in the Pacific — sinks beneath the South American Plate, in a process known as subduction, Ortiz told CNN’s Rafael Romo.
Ortiz noted the earthquakes in Venezuela occurred near the surface — at a depth of less than 20 kilometers (about 12.5 miles) — whereas the seismic event recorded earlier this Monday in Colombia took place at a depth of more than 100 kilometers ( about 62 miles).
CNN journalist recounts his experience during earthquake
When the shaking started, I was on my way to my son’s school in southern Cali for an 8 a.m. appointment. My car began moving in a very strange way, and it wasn’t until we saw utility poles swaying that we realized an earthquake was happening.
When I arrived at the school, the appointment had been cancelled because they were busy assessing damage. On the drive back home to southwestern Cali, we encountered areas without power and traffic lights that weren’t working.
An hour after the quake, many people were still being evacuated from their buildings, unable to re-enter because of the damage.
Some of the damage was concentrated in the area near the bullring (Plaza de Toros), where buildings have collapsed facades and cracks and one building has completely collapsed.
At my home, books fell off the shelves and drawers slid open. There is a large crack in my apartment block, and many roof tiles are on the verge of falling.
I have received reports from acquaintances whose apartment is no longer habitable due to cracks and the risk of imminent collapse. Reports keep coming in from people across the city: commercial buildings that have collapsed and street corners in southern Cali that have been devastated.
It is usually very hot in Cali, but today is exceptionally hot.
At 7 a.m. there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky, and it has remained largely clear since then. Right now, the temperature is 33°C (91°F), with a “feels-like” temperature of 34°C (93°F).
World Central Kitchen deploys to Colombia, José Andrés says
World Central Kitchen founder José Andrés says his disaster-relief network has been “activated” to deploy emergency food aid to Colombia following today’s earthquake.
“Let’s hope for the best… ” Andrés said in a post on social media.
The chef-led relief organization often sets up outdoor kitchens in disaster areas and war zones, distributing free meals. The charity has served people in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and Ukraine, and last month was active in Venezuela after the devastating pair of earthquakes there.
Juan Camilo Jiménez, the organization’s response director for Colombia, told CNN that WCK already has local networks on the ground there.
The main challenge in earthquake-affected areas are finding safe spaces to work that can withstand any earthquake aftershocks, Camilo said. The next is refrigeration for ingredients. He added that WCK does not set a deadline or target number of meals they want to provide, preferring to assess the situation on the ground first.
“We arrive and we like to understand the situation firsthand, then we’re going to find the scope of the response,” said Camilo.
Colombia’s vice president travels to Manizales to lead earthquake response
Colombian Vice President José Manuel Restrepo announced he is heading to Manizales to lead the Unified Command Post, from where he will coordinate the response to the earthquake.
Manizales, located in the department of Caldas, is one of the areas hardest hit by the 7.4 magnitude earthquake that struck western Colombia on Monday.
The vice president also stated he would work with the Foreign Ministry to arrange for the arrival of resources and support from the international community.
The earthquake shook both Colombia’s poorest region and its “Coffee Axis”
The epicenter of Monday’s earthquake was in Chocó, Colombia’s poorest department, where more than two-thirds of the population live in poverty, according to government statistics.
Apart from Quibdo, the capital, much of the region is accessible only by air or water because it has few roads, according to a 2021 report by ACAPS. In recent years, the region has also struggled with violence from organized crime groups and militant organizations, including the National Liberation Army (ELN).
Outside of Chocó, the quake also shook part of the country’s “Coffee Axis,” a hub for the prodigious Colombian coffee business. Dozens of people have died in Riselralda, a department in the heart of the Coffee Axis, and cities throughout the region have reported extensive damage.
Patients trapped inside partially collapsed hospital in Cali
Several patients are trapped under the rubble of a partially collapsed hospital in Cali, western Colombia, according to a local official.
Some sections of the Cali’s University Hospital, including the pediatrics department, “have collapsed,” the governor of Valle del Cauca, Dilian Francisca Toro, told local media.
“Consequently, there are people trapped,” she said in a video posted to X. Firefighters and the army are “working to get them”.
About 30% of the hospital’s infrastructure has collapsed, including three floors reserved for pediatrics, internal medicine and part of the neonatal unit, the manager Irne Torres Castro told reporters.
At least four people have been rescued from under the rubble, according to the government of Cali. Many patients were evacuated and treated outside at the hospital’s gardens. Some were taken to other health facilities.
The hospital is among several health institutions in Cali that have been closed and evacuated because of structural damage, the local government said.
Paramedics could be seen wheeling people out on gurneys as medical workers circled the hospital courtyard, in social media footage.
More than 100 dead after magnitude 7.4 earthquake strikes Colombia. Here’s the latest
We’re continuing to track developments after a powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Colombia earlier today.
At least 111 people have died, according to Colombia’s President Abelardo de la Espriella. The government has declared a state of national disaster, and soldiers are being deployed to affected areas of the country.
The epicenter was located in San José del Palmar, in the northwestern department of Chocó, about 240 kilometers (or 150 miles) west of Bogotá.
If you’re just joining us, catch up on the latest:
- The quake has left at least 87 people injured, 61 buildings collapsed and 1,575 homes damaged, the president said. Eighteen health centers, 52 educational centers, 17 community centers and 18 roads were also damaged.
- Several patients are trapped under the rubble of a partially fallen hospital in Cali, western Colombia, according to a local official. At least four people have been rescued from under the rubble, according to the government.
- Emergency crews from around the country are racing to save people trapped beneath the wreckage of collapsed buildings. “The priority is to try to rescue the people who are still under the rubble,” De la Espriella said.
- De la Espriella announced he would head to Quibdó, the capital of the Chocó department, one of the most affected regions nationwide.
- World Central Kitchen founder José Andrés says his disaster-relief network has been “activated” to deploy emergency food aid to Colombia.
- Richard Emblin, the director of The City Paper Bogotá, described the quake as a “really tough wake-up call this morning for Colombians.” While speaking to CNN, Emblin said sirens were ringing out in Bogotá as aftershocks are possible.
CNN’s Michael Rios, Gonzalo Zegarra, Max Saltman, Juan Carlos Paz, Sana Noor Haq, Sol Amaya and Elise Hammond contributed to this report.
In pictures: Powerful earthquke hits Colombia
The strongest earthquake to hit Colombia in the last decade shook the South American country on Monday, killing dozens of people, pancaking buildings to the ground and catapulting communities into a state of national disaster.
With the death toll steadily climbing following the 7.4 magnitude quake, emergency crews are racing to try and recover survivors trapped beneath the rubble.
Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella – who only took office on Friday – called an emergency committee to “personally lead efforts” to try and rescue people trapped in the wreckage.
Further afield, international leaders in the US, South America, Europe and the Middle East have also pledged to support ongoing rescue operations.
Here's how the number of earthquakes so far this year stacks up
More than 110 people are dead after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit Colombia early Monday, according to officials.
It marks the 122 “significant” earthquakes worldwide so far this year.
Here’s how that compares to years past:
At least 111 people dead after earthquake, Colombian president says
At least 111 people have died as a result of the powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake that struck Colombia earlier today, President Abelardo de la Espriella said.
The quake also left at least 87 people injured, 61 buildings collapsed and 1,575 homes damaged, he said.
It also damaged 18 health centers, 52 educational centers, 17 community centers and 18 roads.
Emergency crews from around the country are racing to save people trapped beneath the wreckage of collapsed buildings.
“The priority is to try to rescue the people who are still under the rubble,” the president said.
De la Espriella announced that he would head to Quibdó, the capital of the Chocó department, one of most affected regions nationwide.
Colombian pop star Shakira expresses "love for my homeland" after deadly earthquake
The Grammy Award-winning artist Shakira paid tribute to her “beloved” Colombia in a heartfelt post on Instagram, saying, “My heart is with everyone who felt this earthquake today and with the families who are going through moments of anguish.”
Born Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll in the Colombian port city of Barranquilla, she left her home at age 13 to pursue a music career in the capital, Bogotá. A year later, she released her first album after signing a contract with Sony.
CNN contributor experienced "intense" earthquake in his apartment
CNN contributor Wilson Barco rushed with his family into his Cali apartment’s bathroom when a powerful earthquake shook Colombia on Monday morning.
Video from Barco shows the light fixtures swaying on the apartment ceiling and wall decorations shuddering as the earthquake shook his building. When the quake ended, Barco walked to his balcony and filmed the Cali skyline draped in dust and smoke.
“My God,” he said. “That was really intense.”
Reuters footage captures some of the damage on the streets of Cali, with bricks and rubble strewn near a busy intersection. One resident, speaking to Reuters, said that she received a Google alert on her phone and managed to evacuate her building in time with a neighbor, “but many people didn’t manage to do so.”
“I think they are going to have to demolish it,” she said, pointing to a nearby building badly damaged in the quakes. “Really, this is a call for us as a community to come together and solve these types of situations that can happen at any moment.”
