Colombia searches for its missing after a powerful earthquake kills more than 100

Colombia searches for its missing after a powerful earthquake kills more than 100 0 seconds of 1 minute, 11 secondsVolume 0% Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts Keyboard ShortcutsEnabledDisabled Shortcuts Open/Close/ or ? 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(AP video/Marko Alvarez) More Videos 0 seconds of 34 secondsVolume 90% Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts Keyboard ShortcutsEnabledDisabled Shortcuts Open/Close/ or ? Play/PauseSPACE Increase Volume↑ Decrease Volume↓ Seek Forward→ Seek Backward← Captions On/Offc Fullscreen/Exit Fullscreenf Mute/Unmutem Decrease Caption Size- Increase Caption Size+ or = Seek %0-9 Next Up Panama's National Border Service deploys more than 700 personnel to secure border with Colombia 00:42 Auto1080p1080p720p540p360p270p180p 00:00 00:34 00:34 More Videos Close 2 of 7 | Search and rescue efforts were underway early Tuesday in western Colombia after the region was rocked by a powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake that killed at least 111 people, damaged or destroyed hundreds of buildings and left many trapped under debris. 3 of 7 | People search through the rubble after an earthquake struck Cali, Colombia, Monday, Aug. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Santiago Saldarriaga) 4 of 7 | Rescue workers and residents search through the rubble after an earthquake struck Cali, Colombia, Monday, Aug. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Santiago Saldarriaga) 5 of 7 | Rescue workers and residents search through the rubble after an earthquake struck Pereira, Colombia, Monday, Aug. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara) 6 of 7 | A vehicle is crushed by debris after an earthquake struck Cali, Colombia, Monday, Aug. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Juan Diaz) 7 of 7 | La gente pide silencio durante la búsqueda de supervivientes tras el terremoto que sacudió Cali, Colombia, el lunes 10 de agosto de 2026. (Foto AP/Santiago Saldarriaga) By ASTRID SUÁREZ, MANUEL RUEDA and MEGAN JANETSKY Updated 6:24 AM MESZ, August 11, 2026 Leer en español Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Search and rescue efforts were underway early Tuesday in dozens of cities and towns in western Colombia after a powerful earthquake struck the region, killing at least 111 people and leaving many trapped under the debris of damaged and destroyed buildings. Monday’s 7.4 magnitude earthquake rattled Cali, Quibdo, Pereira and numerous other cities and towns. Around 1,600 buildings were reported damaged or collapsed. Soldiers, rescue personnel and families picked through the rubble, removing and passing large pieces of concrete by hand down lines of volunteers. President Abelardo de la Espriella said Monday afternoon at least 111 people had died. Families posted information about missing loved ones on citizen-run websites. By Monday night, more than 2,700 people had been reported missing. Dana Carolina Zamora posted an image of her missing 60-year-old uncle, Miguel Ángel Zamora, cradling his dog. The farmer was living in a rural area of El Cairo, not far from the epicenter of the quake in San Jose Del Palmar. Local authorities said 80% of El Cairo, a town of about 7,000 people, was damaged. Zamora said she worried because her uncle lived in a traditional but fragile house made of sticks and mud. “We are afraid. We hope that is not the case, that he is all right and that it is only a communication failure. But we haven’t heard anything from him,” Zamora said. Magnitude 7.4 quake rocks western Colombia, killing at least 111 people 5 MIN READ 115 Colombia’s new president signals energy policy shift, backs oil and gas 2 MIN READ 13 Colombia’s new president takes office in ceremony in Cali highlighting hard line on armed groups 2 MIN READ 13 Choco, the region surrounding the quake’s epicenter, is one of the poorest and most neglected regions of Colombia, often beset by warring armed groups. Much of Choco is accessible only by boat, through the jungle or by airplane. Little was known about the extent of the damage there. De la Espriella traveled to Choco’s capital, Quibdo, on Monday night to assess the damage and announced he had mobilized “the entire military and police apparatus” to respond, deploying engineers, rescue workers and search dogs. He announced rental subsidies for those whose homes were damaged while they undergo repairs. “Choco will never again be the ‘land of the forgotten,’” he said. The earthquake presents the first major test for de la Espriella, who was sworn in as Colombia’s leader on Friday. De la Espriella is a divisive figure because of his pledge of an all-out crackdown on criminal groups. The U.S. State Department announced it would provide $15.5 million for emergency shelter, food and other aid. Governments across Latin America also lined up to help. The earthquake left many in the Andean nation unnerved after two back-to-back quakes devastated neighboring Venezuela in late June, destroying hundreds of buildings and killing more than 6,300 people. Many Colombians were only beginning to grapple with the disaster’s longer-term consequences. Mónica Sánchez owns a small company that makes work uniforms. Her home city, Pereira, was one of the worst hit, and a wall inside the factory collapsed. Sánchez and her 12 workers were able to get outside just in time. “It was shocking — the city fell down around us,” she said. MEGAN JANETSKY Megan Janetsky covers migration, conflict, human rights and politics in Mexico and Central America for The AP based in Mexico City. Previously, she covered Cuba and the Caribbean for The AP and worked as freelance journalist in Colombia, reporting across South America. twitter instagram facebook mailto