Rescue teams are racing through western Colombia for a second day after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake, the country’s strongest on record, devastated parts of the country’s coffee-growing region.
At least 164 people had been confirmed dead by Tuesday, according to Reuters, while a separate tally from Colombia’s Association of Mayors put the death toll at 169, with more than 600 people injured. More than 2,700 people were reported missing Monday night. Officials warn that the death toll and number of missing people could continue to rise.
The conflicting casualty figures reflect the rapidly changing situation as emergency crews reach damaged communities and work to identify victims.
Rescue Crews Search Through Rubble
Emergency workers, police, soldiers and volunteers worked through the night, using heavy equipment and their bare hands to search collapsed buildings for survivors.
The earthquake struck shortly after 8:30 a.m. ET on Monday, with the epicenter near San José del Palmar in the western department of Chocó. The quake was strongly felt in cities including Cali and Pereira and as far away as Bogotá. A 5.0 aftershock was felt about an hour later.
Pereira, the capital of Risaralda, has been among the hardest-hit areas, with authorities reporting dozens of deaths and widespread structural damage. Entire residential blocks were reduced to rubble.
In Cali, at least 85 people were reported dead in the latest Reuters account. Several upper floors of a hospital collapsed, trapping some patients and forcing hundreds of others to receive care outdoors amid the debris. Hospital officials said roughly 600 people had to be treated on the street.
Terrifying video: University Hospital collapses in Colombia 🇨🇴 after massive 7.4 earthquake pic.twitter.com/B48ZrqPrq5
— TaraBull (@TaraBull) August 10, 2026
Remote Communities Still Waiting for Help
One of the greatest challenges is reaching communities near the epicenter.
The area around San José del Palmar is relatively remote and underdeveloped, raising concerns that some residents may still be waiting for emergency assistance. Poor infrastructure can make it difficult for rescue teams and relief supplies to reach isolated communities quickly.
That has also complicated efforts to determine how many people remain missing.
Families across the affected region have turned to social media to search for relatives. Dana Carolina Zamora said her family has been unable to reach her 60-year-old uncle, Miguel Ángel Zamora, a farmer who lived near El Cairo, not far from the epicenter.
“We are afraid,” Zamora said, according to CBS News. The family hopes the lack of contact is the result of communications problems rather than a sign that he was injured.
Food and Basic Supplies Become a Growing Concern
As the immediate search for survivors continues, humanitarian officials are warning that food distribution will become increasingly important in the coming days.
The earthquake damaged or destroyed hundreds of structures, disrupted services and displaced residents from unsafe buildings. Colombia already has significant food-security challenges in rural areas, particularly in vulnerable provinces such as Chocó.
Getting food, water and other basic supplies to isolated communities could become one of the next major challenges of the response.
The United Nations has previously worked with Colombian authorities to deliver humanitarian supplies to remote areas of Chocó, where limited infrastructure can make traditional ground transportation difficult.
Government Mobilizes Emergency Response
President Abelardo de la Espriella, who took office only days before the earthquake, declared a national emergency and ordered a large-scale response.
He said the military and police apparatus would be mobilized to assist with rescue and security operations. Authorities also imposed curfews in Cali and Pereira following reports of looting.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Trump administration was monitoring the situation and was prepared to support Colombia. The Department of State posted on social media that the Trump administration has committed $15.5 million in funding to Colombia for emergency shelter, food, and other needs.
“We are united in prayer with the Colombian people and stand ready to support President @ABDELESPRIELLA and his government as they assess the needs on the ground,” the message said.
Humanitarian organizations in the United States are also beginning to mobilize assistance.
Death Toll Could Continue To Rise
The scale of the destruction remains unclear as rescuers reach more areas and authorities reconcile reports of missing people and casualties.
The disaster has drawn comparisons to the devastating 1999 earthquake that struck Colombia’s coffee-growing region and killed more than 1,000 people.
For now, the priority remains finding people who may still be alive beneath collapsed structures while getting medical care, food and other essential supplies to communities cut off by the destruction. Authorities say rescue operations will continue as crews work through the rubble and assess damage across western Colombia.
Monday’s earthquake in Colombia was the tenth quake above magnitude 7 so far this year, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
