Story perspectives

Colombia Declares Emergency After 7.4 Quake Kills 111

8/11/2026

Summary

Story summary

President Abelardo de la Espriella declared an emergency after a magnitude 7.4 quake on August 10 killed at least 111 people.
USGS located the epicenter near San José del Palmar, Chocó, 107 km deep.
The quake killed 18 in Pereira, 2 in Manizales (where a cathedral tower collapsed), caused collapses in Cali and halted flights at six airports.
Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said their nations stand ready to help Colombia.

History

Historical Context

The July 28 1976 Tangshan earthquake struck Hebei, China with magnitude 7.5, killing an official ?242,000 people and razing most brick buildings. It occurred in a year of major quakes, including Guatemala’s February death toll of 23,000 and Indonesia’s June event killing 6,000. The disaster spurred massive reconstruction and later global investment in seismic monitoring.

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Story summary

President Abelardo de la Espriella declared an emergency after a magnitude 7.4 quake on August 10 killed at least 111 people.
USGS located the epicenter near San José del Palmar, Chocó, 107 km deep.
The quake killed 18 in Pereira, 2 in Manizales (where a cathedral tower collapsed), caused collapses in Cali and halted flights at six airports.
Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said their nations stand ready to help Colombia.

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