Colombia searches for its missing after a powerful earthquake kills more
than 100
[August 11, 2026]
By ASTRID SUÁREZ, MANUEL RUEDA and MEGAN JANETSKY
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Search and rescue efforts were underway early
Tuesday in dozens of cities and towns in western Colombia after a
powerful earthquake struck the region, killing at least 111 people and
leaving many trapped under the debris of damaged and destroyed
buildings.
Monday's 7.4 magnitude earthquake rattled Cali, Quibdo, Pereira and
numerous other cities and towns. Around 1,600 buildings were reported
damaged or collapsed. Soldiers, rescue personnel and families picked
through the rubble, removing and passing large pieces of concrete by
hand down lines of volunteers.
President Abelardo de la Espriella said Monday afternoon at least 111
people had died.
Families posted information about missing loved ones on citizen-run
websites. By Monday night, more than 2,700 people had been reported
missing.
Dana Carolina Zamora posted an image of her missing 60-year-old uncle,
Miguel Ángel Zamora, cradling his dog. The farmer was living in a rural
area of El Cairo, not far from the epicenter of the quake in San Jose
Del Palmar.
Local authorities said 80% of El Cairo, a town of about 7,000 people,
was damaged. Zamora said she worried because her uncle lived in a
traditional but fragile house made of sticks and mud.
“We are afraid. We hope that is not the case, that he is all right and
that it is only a communication failure. But we haven’t heard anything
from him,” Zamora said.
Choco, the region surrounding the quake's epicenter, is one of the
poorest and most neglected regions of Colombia, often beset by warring
armed groups. Much of Choco is accessible only by boat, through the
jungle or by airplane. Little was known about the extent of the damage
there.
De la Espriella traveled to Choco's capital, Quibdo, on Monday night to
assess the damage and announced he had mobilized “the entire military
and police apparatus” to respond, deploying engineers, rescue workers
and search dogs. He announced rental subsidies for those whose homes
were damaged while they undergo repairs.
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Rescue workers and residents search through the rubble after an
earthquake struck Pereira, Colombia, Monday, Aug. 10, 2026. (AP
Photo/Fernando Vergara)
“Choco will never again be the ‘land of the forgotten,'” he said.
The earthquake presents the first major test for de la Espriella,
who was sworn in as Colombia's leader on Friday. De la Espriella is
a divisive figure because of his pledge of an all-out crackdown on
criminal groups.
The U.S. State Department announced it would provide $15.5 million
for emergency shelter, food and other aid. Governments across Latin
America also lined up to help.
The earthquake left many in the Andean nation unnerved after two
back-to-back quakes devastated neighboring Venezuela in late June,
destroying hundreds of buildings and killing more than 6,300 people.
Many Colombians were only beginning to grapple with the disaster's
longer-term consequences.
Mónica Sánchez owns a small company that makes work uniforms. Her
home city, Pereira, was one of the worst hit, and a wall inside the
factory collapsed. Sánchez and her 12 workers were able to get
outside just in time.
“It was shocking — the city fell down around us,” she said.
____
Janetsky reported from Mexico City.
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