Devastating 7.4-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Colombia

As of the latest reports, at least 47 people have lost their lives. The casualties and structural damages are concentrated heavily in the following areas:

• Valle del Cauca (including Cali): At least 27 fatalities have been reported in this department, tragically including three children. In Cali, Colombia's third-largest city, Mayor Alejandro Eder confirmed that residents were trapped in at least 20 collapsed buildings. Patients had to be urgently evacuated outside hospitals as structures became unsafe.
• Pereira: Local officials confirmed 18 deaths. Pereira Mayor Mauricio Salazar reported that many more victims remain trapped under a "massive quantity of collapsed buildings." Harrowing footage from the city's airport showed the ceiling collapsing onto travelers, inciting panic.
• Manizales: Located 300 kilometers west of the capital, the city reported at least two fatalities. One of the most visible structural losses occurred here when a tower of the city's historic neo-Gothic cathedral collapsed directly onto the nave.

In response to the severe infrastructural damage, authorities were forced to suspend flights at multiple regional airports, including Manizales, Quibdo, Armenia, Cartago, Buenaventura, and Pereira.

Eyewitness Accounts and Leadership Response

The sheer force of the tremor left residents in a state of shock. Jorge Moncayo, a 64-year-old taxi driver in Cali, described seeing plumes of dust shoot up across the cityscape from his home in the hills as buildings gave way.

"My entire house shook. I've never lived through such a powerful earthquake."
— Jorge Moncayo, via The Associated Press*

The crisis poses an immediate, monumental test for Colombia's newly formed government. President Abelardo de la Espriella, who was inaugurated just three days prior to the disaster, announced that he is personally supervising the recovery efforts. He has directed the installation of a central emergency command center directly in San José del Palmar to coordinate the national response.

A Region Vulnerable to Seismic Shifts

While small tremors, locally known as "temblores", are a common occurrence in central and western Colombia, earthquakes exceeding a magnitude of 6.0 are rare and historically devastating.

• Armenia, Colombia (1999): A 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck near the city, resulting in the tragic loss of over 1,100 lives.
• Ecuador-Colombia Border (2016): Ten years ago, a massive 7.8-magnitude quake with its epicenter in Ecuador heavily impacted Colombia and Peru, killing more than 650 people.
• Venezuela (Recent): This current disaster follows two recent, catastrophic back-to-back earthquakes in neighboring Venezuela (magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5), which destroyed hundreds of buildings and claimed over 5,000 lives.

These compounding regional disasters highlight the urgent need for robust, international emergency response systems and upgraded structural resilience across South America.

How You Can Help Colombia

When natural disasters of this magnitude strike, the immediate window for search, rescue, and medical intervention is crucial. The people of Colombia are facing immense loss, displacement, and the terrifying threat of aftershocks. They cannot navigate this recovery alone.

We urge global citizens to leverage their platforms and resources to assist the victims of the Colombia earthquake by directing support to verified organizations actively operating on the ground:

1. Convoy of Hope: Delivering tangible resources, emergency supplies, and care to families spanning the 250-mile radius from the epicenter. Donate Here>>
2. Direct Relief: Providing critical medical support and emergency supplies to hospitals in devastated areas to treat crush injuries and perform surgeries. Get Involved>>
3. Oxfam: Deploying emergency coordinators, health advisors, and technical specialists to assess structural damage, secure clean water, and coordinate sanitation efforts in Valle del Cauca. Take Action>>
4. Global Empowerment Mission (GEM): Packing and coordinating the logistics of sending critical emergency supplies, food, and water to the affected Colombian municipalities. Donate Here>>
5. The Colombian Red Cross (Cruz Roja Colombiana): Deeply involved in front-line search-and-rescue operations, pulling survivors from the rubble, evacuating unstable buildings, and setting up triage centers. Donate Here>>

The road to recovery for western Colombia will be long, but through rapid, coordinated global solidarity, we can help deliver life-saving aid to those who need it most.

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