Colombia President Announces Preliminary Loss Estimates Following Major Earthquake

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia on August 10, 2026, with its epicenter near San José del Palmar in the Chocó department. The seismic event, which occurred at 07:34 local time at a depth between 96 and 110 kilometers, is the strongest recorded in Colombia during the 21st century. The tremor was felt across wide areas of Colombia, Ecuador, and Panama. President Abelardo de la Espriella declared a national state of emergency as the disaster caused the collapse of buildings and homes in cities including Cali, Pereira, Quibdó, and Manizales. Infrastructure damage includes hospitals, educational centers, and main roads, with a partial collapse reported in the pediatric and neonatal areas of a hospital in Cali.

Preliminary economic estimates provided by the government vary by currency and reporting. President De la Espriella stated that a private firm estimated direct physical losses at approximately 30 trillion pesos, consisting of 24.5 trillion pesos in buildings and 5.5 trillion pesos in infrastructure. Reuters reported the president pegged early losses at 9.6 billion dollars. The president noted that these figures are preliminary and subject to adjustment as verification continues across 450 municipalities in 15 departments.

International aid is arriving as the United Nations and the United States announced the shipment of food, shelter, and humanitarian assistance. In Chocó, the president highlighted that while absolute losses may be lower than in other regions, the proportional impact is the highest. He proposed a reconstruction effort termed a Plan Marshall to address historical debts to the department. According to El Tiempo, more than 41,200 families were left displaced by the earthquake.