Colombian Bishops appeal for solidarity after devastating earthquake

By Stefano Leszczynski

A powerful earthquake struck western Colombia yesterday, 10 August, leaving more than 130 people dead and 570 confirmed injured, with many still missing.

Extensive damage has been reported in several cities, while emergency teams continue to search for people who may remain trapped beneath collapsed buildings.

The earthquake, initially measured at magnitude 7.4 according to assessments released in the hours following the event, had its epicentre in the area of San José del Palmar, in the department of Chocó, in the west of the country. The tremor was felt across a large part of Colombia and beyond the country’s borders.

Pereira the hardest-hit city

The most serious situation is reported in Pereira, one of the main population centres in western Colombia. The priority remains reaching people who may be trapped under the rubble and securing damaged buildings. The earthquake affected a very large area, making an overall assessment of the damage more difficult because of the impact of the tremor on infrastructure and communications.

The consequences have been particularly severe in Manizales. According to initial reports, more than ten buildings were completely destroyed, while more than twenty residential structures sustained damage of varying degrees. Hospitals, schools and churches were also affected. Damage was reported at Manizales Cathedral, one of the city’s principal religious landmarks. Images and initial accounts from the affected areas show rubble in the streets and damaged structures, while authorities are urging residents to stay away from buildings considered unsafe.

The earthquake also caused collapses in Cali, where rescue teams have intervened at several locations across the city. Initial reports indicate that people were trapped beneath the rubble and that healthcare facilities were damaged. Injuries and infrastructure damage have also been reported in Quibdó, the capital of the department of Chocó.

The local Church responds

The presidency of the Colombian Bishops’ Conference expressed its solidarity and prayers for the victims, those still missing, the injured and the affected families, entrusting the work of rescuers to God.

The Bishops said that this is an emergency of such magnitude that it cannot be faced individually, but requires the country to recognise itself as one family and to respond to suffering with generosity, responsibility and solidarity.

The Bishops of the affected areas have issued numerous appeals for mobilisation. At the humanitarian level, food banks have launched campaigns to collect aid to be distributed among survivors.

Six airports closed

The earthquake has also disrupted transport links. Colombia’s Civil Aviation Authority, Aerocivil, ordered operations suspended at six airports in western Colombia: Pereira, Manizales, Quibdó, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura.

The decision was taken to allow inspections of runways, terminals and other airport infrastructure affected by the powerful tremor. Flights will remain suspended until the necessary checks have been completed to ensure the safety of operations.

The measure could further complicate the delivery of aid to the hardest-hit areas, just as emergency teams and healthcare facilities are being mobilised.

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Tremor felt across much of the country

The earthquake was initially assessed by the Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Centre at a lower magnitude, before being revised upwards. Subsequent estimates put the event at magnitude 7.4, with its epicentre in the area of San José del Palmar, in the department of Chocó.

The earthquake was strongly felt in numerous locations across western and central Colombia. The ground also shook in the capital, Bogotá, while the tremors were felt beyond Colombia’s borders, particularly in some areas of neighbouring countries.

Colombia lies in a region characterised by significant seismic activity, linked to the interaction of several tectonic plates. The western Andean region is particularly exposed.

The country still remembers the devastating earthquake that struck the Eje Cafetero on 25 January 1999, killing more than a thousand people and causing enormous damage, particularly in Armenia, but also in Pereira and numerous other towns across the region.

Search operations continue

In the hardest-hit cities, the emergency is still unfolding. Firefighters, civil protection teams, medical personnel and security forces are concentrating their efforts on searching for missing people and assisting those forced to leave homes and other structures considered unsafe.

Authorities are also assessing the stability of hospitals, schools, churches, homes and public infrastructure. The true scale of the disaster will only become clear once assessments have been completed in the areas closest to the epicentre.

In Pereira, where the highest number of victims has so far been recorded, rescue operations continue amid the rubble.

Updated 11 August 2026 – 8:15 a.m.