world 11 August 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Colombia Earthquake Claims Over 160 Lives, Strongest in Decades
A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake has devastated western Colombia, killing at least 164 people and leaving a trail of destruction. Rescue efforts are ongoing as authorities fear the death toll may rise. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/world/more-than-160-killed-after-strongest-quake-this-century-hits-western-colombia-5553690
Rescue operations are continuing across western Colombia following the nation’s most powerful earthquake in decades. The 7.4-magnitude tremor struck early Monday, reducing buildings to rubble, particularly in the coffee-growing regions.
In Cali, the hardest-hit city, at least 85 people have died, with dozens of buildings destroyed or left unstable. The city’s main hospital saw several pediatric floors collapse, trapping patients and forcing the evacuation of hundreds more to makeshift treatment areas on the street.
Pereira, another major city, reported 66 fatalities. The destruction there includes entire residential blocks flattened into debris. Video footage from the city’s airport showed the structure violently shaking, with ceilings collapsing.
Thirteen deaths were also reported in the more rural Choco province, which was closest to the earthquake’s epicenter. The national death toll currently stands at 164, but officials warn this number could increase as search and rescue teams work tirelessly.
President Abelardo De La Espriella, who recently took office, has dispatched 1,000 security force members to Cali amidst reports of looting. Curfews have been imposed in both Cali and Pereira. The scale of the disaster has drawn comparisons to a devastating 1999 earthquake in the same region.
Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)