Colombia earthquake death toll rises to 132 as rescue operations continue
The death toll from the 7.4-magnitude earthquake has more than tripled since initial reports, with dozens of buildings collapsed in the Choco region.
Colombian volunteers and emergency rescuers have been clearing rubble with their bare hands and buckets in a desperate search for survivors following a major earthquake that has killed at least 132 people. The operations intensified early on Tuesday, 11 August, as authorities described the event as the strongest seismic activity to strike the country in a decade.
The tremor, which measured 7.4 in magnitude, struck western Colombia near the municipality of San Jose del Palmar in the Choco region. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the epicentre was located approximately 400km west of Bogota at a depth of 107km. Colombia’s geological service issued initial reports on Monday, with the USGS subsequently revising the depth data.
The human cost of the disaster has risen sharply since the initial assessments. Early reports indicated a death toll of at least 47, but the figure has since more than tripled to 132. The rapid increase underscores the fluid nature of the situation as rescue teams work through the night to locate those trapped under the debris.
Structural damage has been widespread across western Colombian cities, with dozens of buildings smashed or collapsed. The manual nature of the current search efforts highlights the scale of the destruction and the challenges faced by emergency crews as they attempt to navigate the unstable rubble.
While the immediate focus remains on saving lives, the full extent of the structural damage and the final death toll are yet to be determined. Rescue operations are expected to continue as the severity of the infrastructure collapse becomes clearer in the coming days.
