Spain’s Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, has confirmed the first Spanish citizen killed in the powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck Colombia on Monday, 10 August 2026. The epicentre was in San José del Palmar, in the western department of Chocó, and the quake affected western and basic parts of the country. The number of Spanish nationals still unaccounted for has fallen from 75 to 12 as efforts to locate and assist those affected continue. Colombian authorities initially reported 265 fatalities and nearly 3,500 injured, while the number of missing had risen to 496, President Abelardo de la Espriella said. Later consolidated figures from Colombia’s National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) put the death toll at 335, with 4,516 injured and 103 missing.
The UNGRD’s later accounting also recorded 486,917 people affected across 303,934 families. It reported 206,931 homes damaged and 36,478 destroyed. The disaster reached 16 departments and 498 municipalities, damaging homes and roads, along with public buildings and other infrastructure. The figures point to a crisis extending well beyond the initial search-and-rescue phase, as authorities continue registering affected households and planning recovery.
One of the most tragic stories to emerge from Cali is that of the Saavedra Caicedo family. Ana María, one of the triplets, is hospitalized; rescue teams found the bodies of her sister Sofía and both parents, Jairo and Victoria. The search for Isabella, the third triplet, continues in the ruins of the family’s building in the Cuarto de Legua neighborhood. Hopes of finding the entire family alive persisted for hours after Ana María was located, but were dashed by Wednesday morning, Semana magazine reported.
Even amid the devastation, there have been moments of hope. In the same area of Cali, a young boy was rescued after surviving 32 hours trapped without food or water. A trained rescue dog found him beneath the rubble and alerted Red Cross teams. Roger Casas, head of the canine rescue team, described the operation as a collective effort by the community. Meanwhile, families of the missing have received WhatsApp* (принадлежит Metа, которая признана экстремистской организацией и запрещена в РФ) messages suggesting some may still be alive at the University Hospital in Cali, which suffered structural damage.
President de la Espriella has declared a state of economic emergency to address the crisis, citing the country’s severe fiscal challenges. The government established the Fondo Milagro to channel recovery funding into housing and the rebuilding of damaged infrastructure. By 22 October, the fund had begun operating with 624.656 billion pesos, about 196.1 million U.S. dollars, provided through a World Bank credit. More than 332 billion pesos went to housing programs covering 7,385 interventions, including home repairs and replacements.
The reconstruction bill is large. Housing Minister Jaime Beltrán put the total estimated cost at 54 trillion pesos, including 19.7 trillion pesos for housing. He described the estimate as “alarmante” at the Colombian Construction Congress in Cartagena. A separate assessment counted more than 2,300 buildings affected and over 700 collapsed. The government has also committed 4 billion pesos from the Fondo Milagro to restore damaged schools in Risaralda and get classrooms and school operations back on track. Residents continue to raise concerns about delays as the response shifts from emergency relief to implementation.
International rescue teams have joined the response. The Topos Aztecas arrived from Mexico City to assist local efforts, while the elite DART team from the United States has supported Colombian rescuers since Tuesday. Experts from other countries are also on the ground. David Tamayo, newly appointed director of the UNGRD, said all available resources are being deployed for risk management and emergency response. He clarified that Colombia is currently accepting search-and-rescue assistance only from Israel, the United States, El Salvador and Ecuador, which meet international standards for such operations.
Colombia’s Foreign Minister, Omar Bula, responded to criticism by stressing that no offers of help have been rejected on ideological or political grounds. He said Colombia is working with all countries willing to assist, regardless of their government’s orientation. Shortly afterward, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that an aid delegation would go to Colombia following a request from President de la Espriella.
Humanitarian coordination has continued in Valle del Cauca, Chocó, Risaralda, Caldas and Quindío, with authorities monitoring needs involving water and sanitation, as well as hygiene. On 21 October, two months after the earthquake, the UNGRD organized a nationwide emergency-response drill involving 1,046 municipalities across all 32 departments to test institutional and civilian protocols. Bogotá’s government also recorded 1,231 requests from residents about possible damage to homes and buildings after the quake.
Disasters of this scale affect local communities and international relations. Rescue teams mobilized quickly, while aid coordination brought international partners into the response. For Spain, the earthquake has exposed the risks its citizens face abroad and the demands placed on consular services during emergencies. Similar challenges arose during the severe storms that recently hit southern Valencia, where emergency services responded to record winds and flooding, as detailed in this report on the response to extreme weather in Alcoi and Villena. The situation in Colombia continues to evolve, and authorities are urging people to stay alert and support those affected.
Earthquakes of this magnitude are rare in Colombia but can cause widespread destruction, particularly in densely populated urban areas. The disaster is testing the country’s emergency response infrastructure as officials manage rescue operations and the longer-term work of rebuilding. For Spanish nationals and their families, the priority remains finding those still missing and protecting people in affected areas. The Spanish government is maintaining close contact with Colombian authorities and providing assistance where possible.
