A magnitude 7.4 earthquake shook Colombia on the morning of Monday, August 10, 2026, with authorities reporting the epicenter in the department of Chocó. The quake struck at around 7:34 a.m. and was felt in Medellín, Cali, Pereira, Manizales and Bogotá, prompting authorities to activate emergency protocols while damage was assessed.
In Medellín, the earthquake caused alarm among residents of high-rise buildings. Eduardo Silva, a Peruvian citizen, was on the 17th floor of a building when the shaking began. Speaking to the program Arriba mi gente, he described the experience as very intense.
Evacuation from the 17th floor
Silva said he had been resting when the earthquake started. He said the shaking was strong enough to make the building tremble, with several residents reacting with concern, some children crying and many people choosing to stay outside their homes.
After finding a spot he considered safe inside the building, Silva went down from the 17th floor to the ground floor using the emergency stairs. Once outside, he saw that many residents remained in the streets, worried about possible aftershocks. He said the building's alarms stayed on and emergency systems had been working since the earthquake began.
Damage across Colombia
Other parts of the country reported more severe damage, according to the account broadcast by Arriba mi gente. In Cali, buildings were damaged, while areas near the epicenter reported destroyed homes and structures with cracks, along with broken windows in various buildings. Pereira's airport was evacuated after internal structures, including ceilings, were affected.
The earthquake also disrupted elevators in buildings, forcing security teams and authorities to help people who became trapped. Silva said some three- and four-story buildings had collapsed in certain areas. Authorities kept search and rescue protocols active as emergency work continued, and later reports indicated deaths and injuries in the hardest-hit zones, with the overall toll still being updated.
