PEREIRA, Colombia, Aug. 10 (World Daily Times) — A magnitude-7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia on Aug. 10, killing at least 111 people and injuring 87, according to President Abelardo de la Espriella and local officials cited in updates from the BBC and ABC11. The quake collapsed buildings, trapped residents under rubble and damaged infrastructure across several departments.
The death toll increased throughout the day as officials reported casualties from different cities. Earlier counts were 20, 47 and 73 deaths. The latest figure in the supplied updates was 111, but officials had not released a complete casualty list or a fully reconciled breakdown by city.
The president declared a national disaster or emergency, according to the BBC and ABC11.
Where did the earthquake strike?
Colombia’s Geological Service placed the epicenter near San José del Palmar in Chocó province, on Colombia’s Pacific side. The U.S. Geological Survey also identified the area as the source of the earthquake, according to reports citing the agency.
The earthquake struck at 7:34 a.m. local time, or 12:34 p.m. GMT, according to Colombia’s Geological Service. Reports gave different depths: 96, 103 and 107 kilometers. Those differences can result from separate agency estimates or later updates. The available information does not establish which depth is the final official value.
Shaking was felt across Colombia and in neighboring Ecuador, Venezuela and Panama. Reports described limited damage outside Colombia. Colombia’s National Unit for Disaster Risk Management and the U.S. tsunami warning system said there was no tsunami threat.
Why did so many buildings collapse?
The earthquake caused structural damage in cities and towns including Cali, Pereira, Manizales and Buenaventura. Cali Mayor Alejandro Eder said crews were responding to 12 critical sites and about 25 collapsed structures in one update. Other reports put the number of collapsed structures in Cali at about 19.
Officials also reported people trapped in collapsed buildings. Eder said two people, an older woman and a young girl, had been rescued alive and that others remained trapped at the time of his statement. Pereira Mayor Mauricio Salazar described a large number of collapsed buildings. Manizales Mayor Jorge Eduardo Rojas urged residents to remain outside because of concern about aftershocks.
The available reports do not provide engineering assessments of the failed buildings. They also do not establish whether particular collapses were linked to construction quality, building age, soil conditions or another factor. A magnitude alone cannot explain the failure of an individual structure.
A quake’s magnitude measures the energy released at its source. It is different from shaking intensity, which describes how strongly the ground moves at a particular place. Intensity can vary with distance from the epicenter, depth, local geology and the design of buildings.
What happened after the main shock?
Colombia’s Geological Service reported aftershocks measuring magnitude 2.8 and 4.8. Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes that follow a larger event in the same general area. They can damage already weakened structures and complicate rescue operations.
The earthquake also damaged several regional airports, according to Colombia’s aviation authority. Evacuations were reported in affected cities, and rescue workers searched collapsed buildings for survivors.
Regional authorities reported different totals at different points, including 40 deaths in Risaralda and 27 in Valle del Cauca. Those figures were not fully reconciled in the available updates, and the latest total may include deaths reported from more than one department.
What can be concluded with certainty?
The agency measurements establish that a powerful earthquake struck western Colombia and was followed by at least two reported aftershocks. Official statements establish that the event caused deaths, injuries, building collapses and damage to infrastructure across several regions.
The available information does not yet establish the full scale of the destruction, the final death toll or the reasons individual buildings failed. It also does not include a scientific study or engineering review, and there is no peer-reviewed research identified in the supplied material. Further assessments by emergency officials, engineers and geological agencies will be needed to determine the final toll and the causes of specific damage.
