Colombia earthquake death toll climbs as rescue efforts continue

Nexus Europa Newsroom
Posted Aug 15, 2026, 10:30 PM UTC · In the digest of 2026-08-15-2230
Colombia earthquake death toll climbs as rescue efforts continue
Photo: Ziarul de Gardă

Rescue operations continue across Colombia following a magnitude 7.4 earthquake, with death toll estimates ranging between 132 and 164 as search teams comb the rubble.

Emergency teams and military personnel across Colombia are continuing search and rescue efforts following a powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck near San José del Palmar on 10 August. A national state of emergency remains active as workers navigate collapsed infrastructure to locate survivors and provide temporary shelter to displaced residents.

Reported casualty tolls continue to vary as official assessments proceed. Moldova1 reported that the disaster has claimed at least 164 lives, while Digi24 and Ziarul de Gardă stated that at least 132 people were killed and more than 500 injured. Earlier reports from HotNews and Adevărul indicated preliminary counts of dozens dead, with tremors also felt in neighbouring Ecuador. Authorities caution that the casualty count may rise further.

Sources: Adevărul, Digi24, HotNews, Moldova1, Ziarul de Gardă.

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