A devastating earthquake has struck western Colombia, leaving at least 132 people dead and 570 injured, according to provisional figures from the Colombian Association of Capital Cities. The 7.4-magnitude tremor, which hit on Monday, was followed by a series of aftershocks that compounded the destruction across several departments.
The hardest-hit regions are Cauca and Risaralda, west of the so-called Coffee Axis, with at least 60 and 15 deaths respectively, according to the newspaper El Espectador. Chocó reported around 13 fatalities, while Caldas and Quindío also suffered significant losses. The epicentre was located in San José del Palmar, in the southeast of Chocó, near the borders with Valle del Cauca and Risaralda, and roughly equidistant from the cities of Cali and Medellín. Cali, the capital of Valle del Cauca, experienced the most severe infrastructure damage.
Seismologists attribute the quake to the subduction of the Nazca plate beneath the South American plate, which forms the Andes. The earthquake originated at a depth of about 103 kilometres, a factor that likely influenced the widespread shaking felt across the region and even in neighbouring countries such as Ecuador and Panama.
Emergency response and political leadership
President Abelardo de la Espriella, who took office only recently, travelled to Quibdó, the capital of Chocó, on Monday afternoon, and later visited Cali. To bolster rescue efforts, Cali will receive 60 rescue workers from Bogotá and an additional 32 members of the armed forces. The president has announced that government representatives will lead unified command posts in the affected areas, with departments ceding their authority on the matter. “I don't want anyone going off on their own,” he said, adding that information will come exclusively from the Office of the President. He plans to visit the Coffee Axis in the coming days.
The response has drawn international attention, with offers of support from Mexico and expressions of solidarity from Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado. The quake follows two consecutive earthquakes off the Venezuelan coast in late June, which killed more than 5,000 people and destroyed hundreds of buildings.
Curfews and security measures
In Cali, Mayor Alejandro Eder imposed a curfew from 20:00 Monday to 06:00 Tuesday and ordered the militarisation of the city. “We are facing threats of looting, which is why I have ordered the curfew and the militarisation of Cali,” Eder said, urging citizens to report any attempted looting or incidents that threaten public safety. The measure is intended to allow relief agencies to focus on searching for survivors trapped under rubble.
Pereira, the capital of Risaralda, also declared a curfew. Mayor Mauricio Salazar announced: “As of today at 18:00 we have imposed a curfew until 5:00 to protect businesses in the city. This curfew will apply in the city centre, in Comuna Universidad and in the Cuba subcentre.” In Caldas, Governor Henry Gutiérrez Angel has similarly opted for a curfew to prevent looting and protect residents.
The earthquake caused a blackout affecting electricity and mobile phone coverage in the affected area. Six airports in the west of the country—Pereira, Manizales, Quibdó, Armenia, Cartago, and Buenaventura—still have operations suspended. The tremor was felt as far away as Ecuador and Panama.
From Mexico, President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed solidarity and offered support, with Mexican media reporting that she has made available any assistance Colombia may require. María Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader in exile, wrote: “We know from first-hand experience how vital international solidarity is in the face of a tragedy of this magnitude.”
As rescue operations continue, the focus remains on finding survivors and restoring basic services. The curfews are a precautionary measure to maintain order, but the scale of the disaster poses a significant challenge for the new administration. The coming days will be critical in assessing the full extent of the damage and coordinating an effective response.
