At least 20 killed as 7.4 magnitude earthquake hits Colombia

A deadly 7.4 magnitude earthquake tore through Colombia on Monday, damaging buildings and injuring several people.

Ahmed Oluwasanjo and Yunusa Umar • August 10, 2026

Colombia earthquake [Credit: CNN]

At least 20 people have been killed as a deadly 7.4 magnitude earthquake tore through Colombia on Monday, damaging buildings and injuring some people.

The United States Geological Survey reported that the earthquake happened at about 7:34 a.m. (local time, 8:34 a.m. Miami time), ripping through San José del Palmar, in the department of Chocó, about 280 kilometres west of Bogotá, the country’s capital.

Local media reported that 20 people have been found dead in rubble as rescue efforts are ongoing.

In a post on X on Monday, the governor of Colombia’s northwestern area of Chocó, Nubia Carolina Córdoba Curi, confirmed the earthquake caused severe damage to buildings and injuries.

“We have just experienced a severe seismic event in the department of Chocó. We are concerned about aftershocks,” she said.

“Although the epicentre was in San José del Palmar, in the capital Quibdó there are injuries and severe damage to buildings. We are already conducting the damage assessment to issue the first official report,” the governor added.

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