Maryam Ashalem de Andres
14 August 2026•Update: 14 August 2026
The death toll from Colombia’s 7.4 magnitude earthquake rose to 285, while 3,975 people have been injured, 379 reported missing and 354 rescued, the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) said Friday.
UNGRD Director David Santiago Tamayo said search-and-rescue operations remain the priority, particularly in areas where people are believed to be trapped in collapsed structures.
“Unfortunately, the probability of finding survivors is diminishing,” Tamayo said, while stressing that rescue teams would continue working to locate all people reported missing.
The earthquake struck western Colombia on Aug. 10, causing widespread destruction across several cities and damaging homes, schools, hospitals and other critical infrastructure.
The epicenter was near San Jose del Palmar in the department of Choco, with tremors felt in other parts of the country, including Bogota and neighboring countries.
According to the latest national assessment, 15 departments and 426 municipalities have been affected by the earthquake, while 45,523 families and 102,263 people have been impacted.
The UNGRD reported 71,763 homes damaged, 12,597 destroyed and 121 buildings collapsed.
The earthquake has also severely affected public infrastructure, with 2,205 educational centers and 240 health facilities damaged. Authorities also reported damage to 1,208 community centers, 210 roads, 73 water supply systems, 44 vehicle bridges, 13 pedestrian bridges and five airports.
The scale of the damage has disrupted essential services, transportation, education, healthcare and water supplies in affected areas, adding to the pressure on emergency response agencies.
International search-and-rescue teams have been deployed to affected areas to support Colombian emergency responders in operations targeting collapsed structures and confined spaces.
Rescue and relief operations continue as authorities work to locate missing people, assist affected communities and assess the full extent of the damage caused by the earthquake.
