Residents in Cali spent the night outdoors after a devastating earthquake struck early in the morning. They feared further tremors and sought news of missing relatives. The quake has left at least 95 people dead in the city, information from the latest figures from Mayor Alejandro Eder. Emergency services continue to search for survivors, with 239 people still believed to be trapped beneath the rubble and 56 buildings reported collapsed. The magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck at 7:34 a.m. on 10 August 2026 near San José del Palmar in Chocó, about 116 kilometres underground. Its depth and location in the subducting Nazca Plate help explain why the shaking was felt across southwestern Colombia, including Cali.
Among those affected is Alicia, a 64-year-old Colombian woman who has lived in Spain for 25 years and was visiting her mother in Cali when the quake hit. She told EL MUNDO that the shaking began just as she was about to leave her mother's sixth-floor apartment. At first, she thought she was dizzy, but soon realized how severe the quake was: furniture shifted and drawers flew open as cracks appeared in the walls. A section of wall broke off while her mother was in the bathroom. The building lost power and internet access immediately after the tremor, leaving residents isolated and anxious.
Security staff quickly moved through the building to assist elderly residents, temporarily restoring the elevator to help them evacuate. Outside, neighbors gathered with chairs and shared coffee and infusions as they waited for updates. Many had been caught off guard, still in their pajamas, while others rushed to check on loved ones. Without electricity or water, Alicia and her mother sought shelter at a nearby friend's home; returning to their apartment was impossible. In some areas, entire buildings collapsed, including one with a rooftop pool. Traffic police blocked off streets affected by debris and malfunctioning traffic lights.
Supermarkets struggled to open because of structural damage, and water quickly sold out in local shops. Alicia said her neighbor drove her to buy soft drinks because she was too shaken to lead herself. By the afternoon, some normalcy had returned, but fear of aftershocks kept many from sleeping indoors. Families and neighbors anxiously awaited news about those still trapped beneath the ruins. Many residents were unsure where to go next as they searched for safe shelter.
Subsequent figures from official records put Cali’s death toll at 154, with more than 45,000 people affected. The damage assessment recorded 24 homes completely collapsed and 506 with partial collapses. Of approximately 14,000 properties requiring evaluation, engineers had assessed 4,733. They deemed 1,787 uninhabitable and classified 1,422 as unsafe, while about 1,200 buildings remained evacuated. By 10 September, the national disaster assessment reported 331 deaths and 4,505 injuries across Colombia. The earthquake had affected 497 municipalities in 16 departments.
The earthquake in Cali follows a series of seismic events in Colombia in recent years. A previous major quake in the region prompted emergency evacuations in Bogotá and was felt across several major cities, as reported in a related incident covered by RUSSPAIN. Such disasters highlight the vulnerability of urban areas in Colombia to seismic risks, particularly in densely populated neighborhoods with older residential buildings.
Colombia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, making it prone to earthquakes. Cali, one of the country's largest cities, faces particular challenges because of rapid urban growth and varied building standards. The government declared an economic and social emergency on 19 August to support its response. By late October, the recovery effort had expanded beyond immediate relief to include structural risk reduction and housing support, alongside reconstruction. On 22 October, the Ministry of Housing announced 155 grants to help families purchase homes and 200 home-improvement subsidies. The Fondo Patria Milagro allocated 50 billion Colombian pesos to finance demolitions.
By 23 October, Cali’s District Risk-Management Council had approved demolition of 82 earthquake-damaged buildings. Eleven had been demolished, and two more were under intervention. Officials said the total could exceed 200 as inspections continued, with work potentially extending into January 2027. More than 20,000 families were reported to have lost housing, with many temporarily staying with relatives or friends. The response had shifted from search and rescue to managing unsafe structures and supporting displaced residents, while families continued to seek safe shelter and news of loved ones.
