111 dead after Colombia quakes leave trail of destruction
Al Jazeera
β’Mon, 10 Aug 2026 18:51:02 +0000
π° What Happened
At least 111 people were killed after a destructive magnitude 7.4 earthquake hit western Colombia, collapsing dozens of buildings and trapping residents under debris. The Colombian geological service called it the highest-magnitude quake registered in the country in the last decade.
π The Backstory
Colombia sits on an active tectonic boundary and experiences frequent small tremors, though quakes above magnitude 6 are rare. A magnitude 6.2 earthquake near the city of Armenia in 1999 killed more than 1,100 people, underscoring the seismic risk in western Colombia.
π― Why It Matters
Widespread building collapses in cities such as Cali, Pereira, Quibdo and Manizales expose infrastructure vulnerability and underscore the humanitarian toll earthquakes can take on densely populated Latin American urban areas amid fears of further aftershocks.
At least 111 people were killed after a destructive magnitude 7.4 earthquake hit western Colombia, collapsing dozens of buildings and trapping residents under debris. The Colombian geological service called it the highest-magnitude quake registered in the country in the last decade.
Colombia sits on an active tectonic boundary and experiences frequent small tremors, though quakes above magnitude 6 are rare. A magnitude 6.2 earthquake near the city of Armenia in 1999 killed more than 1,100 people, underscoring the seismic risk in western Colombia.
Widespread building collapses in cities such as Cali, Pereira, Quibdo and Manizales expose infrastructure vulnerability and underscore the humanitarian toll earthquakes can take on densely populated Latin American urban areas amid fears of further aftershocks.