Story perspectives

Colombia Declares Emergency After 7.4 Quake Kills 111

8/11/2026

Summary

Story summary

President Abelardo de la Espriella declared a national state of emergency after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake killed at least 111 people and injured 87.
Mayors reported building collapses, including 20 structures in Cali, 18 deaths in Pereira, and severe damage to the Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica dome in Manizales.
Colombia’s civil aviation authority suspended flights at Pereira, Manizales, Quibdó, Armenia, Cartago, Buenaventura and Cali pending structural assessments.

History

Historical Context

On 25 January 1999 a magnitude-6.2 quake struck 17 km south of Armenia, Colombia, killing roughly 1,900 people and prompting President Andrés Pastrana to declare a national emergency and impose a curfew. The disaster spurred stricter 1984 building-code enforcement and extensive rebuilding of the coffee-growing region. Today’s magnitude-7.4 tremor has led President Abelardo de la Espriella to order a state of emergency and suspend flights in Cali, Pereira and Manizales.

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Story summary

President Abelardo de la Espriella declared a national state of emergency after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake killed at least 111 people and injured 87.
Mayors reported building collapses, including 20 structures in Cali, 18 deaths in Pereira, and severe damage to the Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica dome in Manizales.
Colombia’s civil aviation authority suspended flights at Pereira, Manizales, Quibdó, Armenia, Cartago, Buenaventura and Cali pending structural assessments.

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