13-08-2026
Rescue teams in Pereira, Colombia, pulled 32-year-old Daniela Largo Sánchez alive from the ruins of a collapsed building on Tuesday, August 11, after she had spent 36 hours trapped beneath the rubble. The operation followed the magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck western Colombia on August 10 and damaged buildings across the region.
Largo Sánchez was located approximately 10 hours before rescuers were able to extract her. Bogotá firefighters said she was buried too deeply for an immediate rescue, forcing crews to work slowly and carefully through the debris. Their priority was to reach her without destabilizing the remaining structure or causing a further collapse.
Video from the scene showed rescuers bringing the woman out beneath a blue sheet to protect her privacy. The crews applauded as she emerged, and she was then transferred to an ambulance for medical attention. Her survival after more than a day and a half under the rubble represented a hopeful moment amid the continuing disaster response.
Emergency teams continued searching damaged buildings throughout western Colombia. Firefighters reported that another person was still trapped inside the same building in Pereira, and rescue operations were ongoing. The successful extraction of Largo Sánchez highlighted the importance of sustained search-and-rescue efforts after the earthquake, while also underscoring the danger faced by responders working in unstable ruins.
Entities: Daniela Largo Sánchez, Pereira, Colombia, Western Colombia, Bogotá firefighters, Colombia earthquake rescue teams • Tone: urgent • Sentiment: positive • Intent: inform
13-08-2026
An earthquake that struck Colombia on 10 August has caused widespread destruction and deaths across municipalities in Valle del Cauca, outside the city of Cali. At least 27 people have died in the department, while more than 1,000 homes have been damaged. Assessments and search-and-rescue operations are still continuing in the worst-affected areas.
In Zarzal, approximately 700 homes were damaged, with some reduced to rubble. At least one person died, and emergency teams went door to door to identify residents requiring shelter and supplies. Debris blocked streets, while severely damaged buildings may need to be demolished.
Roldanillo also suffered extensive damage, with at least two people killed, including councillor Juan Carlos García Castañeda, who died when part of a gym collapsed. Hundreds of homes and businesses were damaged, leading authorities to declare a state of public calamity and impose a night-time curfew. Power and running water were cut, forcing many families to sleep outdoors or in temporary shelters. Business owners searched through rubble for goods they could salvage, amid fears for their livelihoods.
El Cairo, a town of about 7,000 people near the earthquake’s epicentre, was among the worst-hit locations. Officials estimated that roughly 80% of homes and public buildings had been damaged or destroyed. Landslides, blocked roads and continuing aftershocks have driven residents into makeshift shelters.
Regional leaders warned that rebuilding housing, restoring essential services and recovering local livelihoods could take months or even years, leaving affected communities facing a prolonged and uncertain recovery.
Entities: Colombia, Valle del Cauca, Cali, Zarzal, Roldanillo • Tone: urgent • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
13-08-2026
Rescue operations following Colombia’s magnitude 7.4 earthquake have entered what officials describe as the “final phase,” as the death toll reaches 265 and more than 3,500 people are injured. Nearly 500 people remain missing, while approximately 9,550 homes have been destroyed. The earthquake, which struck on Monday, is described as the strongest to hit Colombia this century.
The approaching 72-hour mark is critical because survivors trapped under collapsed buildings are considered most likely to be found alive during that period. Pereira, in the country’s coffee region, and Cali, Colombia’s third-largest city, have reported 83 and 74 deaths respectively. Cali Mayor Alejandro Eder emphasized that the end of the main rescue phase does not rule out later survivals, but acknowledged that prospects become more difficult with time.
Rescuers in Pereira are searching a collapsed bakery for street vendor Pablo Loaiza, whom relatives believe may still be alive. Sensors reportedly detected possible signs of life, and family members said he responded to rescuers’ requests by knocking from beneath the rubble. In Cali, emergency teams have continued working through the night with cranes, sniffer dogs and manual labor, periodically silencing the site to listen for survivors. Three people have been rescued alive and three bodies recovered at one location.
Residents, soldiers, police, municipal workers and volunteers have organized bucket brigades and supplied affected neighborhoods with water, food and other necessities. Police restrictions on the number of volunteers at rescue sites have reduced noise and vibrations, improving the ability of sensors to detect movement.
President Abelardo de La Espriella has promised an emergency reconstruction fund for hospitals, schools, homes and infrastructure and declared an economic emergency. Analysts say the disaster will be an early test of his new administration, particularly because he campaigned on reducing public spending and proposed cutting funding for the state risk-management unit now leading the emergency response.
Entities: Colombia earthquake, Magnitude 7.4 earthquake, Pereira, Cali, Alejandro Eder • Tone: urgent • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
13-08-2026
A 32-year-old woman, Daniela Largo, has been rescued alive after spending 36 hours trapped beneath the rubble of a collapsed building in Pereira, Colombia, following a 7.4-magnitude earthquake. Firefighters conducted a 10-hour operation, digging two tunnels through or beneath four heavy concrete slabs to reach her. A local resident first heard Largo calling for help, and rescuers used a small camera to locate her. Oxygen was supplied through one tunnel dug from above, while a second tunnel dug from below allowed workers to free her. Largo was carried to an ambulance wrapped in a blue sheet. Her mother said Largo’s 12-year-old son was waiting for her at home, while President Abelardo de la Espriella described the rescue as hopeful news.
The earthquake has caused widespread destruction and a major emergency response across western Colombia. According to the president, at least 265 people have died and 496 remain missing. Pereira, in the country’s coffee-growing region, recorded at least 79 deaths and 92 collapsed buildings. Fifteen people were still trapped there, with another 37 reported missing. Cali suffered the highest reported death toll, with 95 people dead, and more than 200 people remained trapped as of Tuesday afternoon. Eighty-seven people had been rescued in the city, where authorities imposed a night-time curfew and deployed soldiers to protect rescue operations.
The quake struck at 07:34 local time on Monday near San José del Palmar in Chocó province and was felt across a wide area. Seismometers recorded shaking lasting between 90 seconds and two minutes, followed by more than 100 aftershocks. Rescue teams continued searching for survivors amid the destruction, with officials saying there was still hope of finding more people alive.
Entities: Daniela Largo, Abelardo de la Espriella, Pereira, Colombia, Cali, Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia • Tone: urgent • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
13-08-2026
Footage posted on social media shows a baby being rescued alive from the rubble of a destroyed building in Cali, Colombia, after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck the country on Monday, August 10, 2026. In the videos posted by Brian Osorio Zuluaga, rescuers ask a survivor trapped beneath the debris whether he is alone. The man replies that he is with a baby, prompting workers to remove concrete and rubble by hand as the child’s cries can be heard. A second video shows the infant being held by a bloodied man whose lower body remains trapped. Five rescuers eventually remove the baby, call for a paramedic and celebrate before continuing efforts to free the adult survivor. The conditions of both the baby and the man were not immediately known.
Zuluaga said he was among the first people at the scene and helped others rescue victims. He emphasized the importance of cooperation during the disaster, writing that a helping hand could mean the difference between life and death and that divisions did not matter during the emergency.
Search teams and volunteers across Colombia continued working under time pressure to find survivors. The article reports that President Abelardo de la Espriella initially announced at least 181 deaths and 2,595 injuries, while authorities in Cali later raised the death toll to 216. Civilian databases estimated that nearly 4,000 people remained unaccounted for. The United States offered more than $15 million in aid, Mexico prepared to send search and medical personnel and supplies, and El Salvador announced plans to deliver 100 tons of aid by air. The Associated Press contributed to the report.
Entities: Colombia, Cali, 7.4-magnitude earthquake, Baby rescue from collapsed building, Brian Osorio Zuluaga • Tone: urgent • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
13-08-2026
International aid began arriving in Colombia as rescuers continued a desperate search for survivors after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck the country’s west on Monday. President Abelardo de la Espriella said Wednesday that at least 265 people had died and nearly 500 were officially reported missing, although civilian-run databases listed more than 4,100 missing people. More than 25,800 families were affected.
Search teams worked in the hardest-hit cities of Cali, Pereira, Manizales and Quibdo, where collapsed buildings, damaged roads and crushed vehicles complicated rescue efforts. Officials said the next several hours were critical, with rescuers still finding signs of life. A baby was rescued from rubble in Cali, while 32-year-old Daniela Largo survived a 12-hour operation in Pereira after crews freed her pinned arm and doctors administered fluids. Other operations ended in deaths, and volunteers worked in near silence so rescuers could hear possible survivors.
Thousands of displaced people took shelter in arenas, schools, tents and parks, fearing aftershocks or the collapse of damaged homes. Colombia’s geological service recorded 130 aftershocks. Experts said another earthquake of similar magnitude in the same location was unlikely but warned that Colombia’s active fault lines made future seismic activity inevitable.
The disaster’s impact remained unclear in Choco, the quake’s epicenter, where remote communities are difficult to reach and communications were disrupted. Poverty, armed conflict and longstanding displacement have further complicated the humanitarian response. Aid organizations already operating in the region shifted quickly to emergency relief.
The United States offered more than $15 million and sent disaster-response teams. Mexico delivered food and security personnel and prepared additional aid, while El Salvador offered 100 tons of supplies. The United Nations, the Norwegian Refugee Council, Pope Leo XIV and international entertainers also supported relief and recovery efforts. The earthquake has created both a major test for Colombia’s government and moments of hope amid widespread loss and displacement.
Entities: Colombia earthquake, Abelardo de la Espriella, Cali, Pereira, Manizales • Tone: urgent • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
13-08-2026
Rescue workers and volunteers raced through collapsed buildings in Colombia after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck the country’s western region shortly after 7:30 a.m. Monday. President Abelardo de la Espriella said at least 181 people had died, 1,595 were injured and 195 were officially reported missing. Civilian databases indicated that the number of missing people could be as high as 3,900, as families used social media to seek information about relatives.
The earthquake destroyed more than 1,100 homes and damaged over 8,300 others. Pereira, a city of more than half a million people, was among the hardest-hit areas and suffered widespread power outages. Many residents slept outdoors because their homes were damaged or because they feared additional deadly aftershocks. Volunteers searched darkened streets and cleared debris by hand, sometimes forming human chains and pausing to listen for survivors.
In Cali, rescuers reported hearing a whistle from beneath a pancaked building and pulled out a man and a baby, although another family member remained trapped. Hospitals in five cities were placed on red alert, and authorities imposed a nighttime curfew in Cali. De la Espriella, who had been president for only three days, declared a state of emergency and mobilized the military and police.
International support followed. The Vatican offered prayers, while the United States announced $15.5 million in emergency relief and said it was prepared to assist. The European Union activated its Copernicus satellite service to support rescue operations, and Israel, Mexico, Ecuador and France also offered help. The disaster left communities grieving, searching for missing relatives and confronting extensive damage and disrupted communications.
Entities: Colombia, Pereira, Cali, El Cairo and San Jose Del Palmar, Abelardo de la Espriella • Tone: urgent • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
13-08-2026
A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia at about 8:34 a.m. ET on Monday, killing at least 111 people, injuring at least 87 and causing extensive damage across more than 20 municipalities. The U.S. Geological Survey and Colombian authorities said the epicenter was near San José del Palmar in the rural Chocó province, roughly 250 miles west of Bogotá. A magnitude 5.0 aftershock followed less than an hour later.
The majority of reported deaths occurred in neighboring provinces, including at least 40 in Risaralda, where Pereira is located, and 27 in Valle del Cauca, which includes Cali. Additional deaths were reported in Chocó, Caldas and Antioquia. Pereira, Cali, Manizales and Quibdó suffered collapsed buildings, with residents and rescue teams searching through rubble for survivors. Pereira officials said many people remained trapped, while Cali reported 30 collapsed structures. In Manizales, 17 buildings collapsed and 19 partially collapsed, including a tower of the city’s neo-Gothic cathedral.
The earthquake was felt across much of Colombia, from Bogotá to the Caribbean coast, and in Ecuador. USGS estimates indicated that about 10.5 million people experienced strong to very strong shaking. Evacuations took place in Bogotá and Armenia, while flights were suspended at several regional airports. Bogotá officials reported no structural damage in the capital.
President Abelardo de la Espriella pledged government assistance, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States was prepared to support Colombia. Humanitarian organizations in South Florida also began mobilizing aid. The quake was described as Colombia’s strongest since nationwide seismic records began in the early 1920s. The affected coffee region had previously been devastated by a 1999 earthquake that killed more than 1,200 people. The article places the disaster in the context of Colombia’s location along the Pacific Ring of Fire and recent major earthquakes in neighboring Venezuela.
Entities: 7.4-magnitude earthquake, Colombia, San José del Palmar, Chocó province, Bogotá • Tone: urgent • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
13-08-2026
Colombia is conducting a large-scale search-and-rescue operation after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck the western part of the country on Monday, Aug. 10, 2026. More than 3,000 people were reported missing by Tuesday, while casualty figures varied between local officials and the federal government. Mayors and governors in Cali, Pereira, Chocó and Manizales reported at least 179 deaths in their areas, while the national government’s latest estimate placed the death toll at 111. Approximately 1,600 buildings were reported damaged or destroyed.
Videos and photographs showed emergency personnel, volunteers and residents searching through collapsed structures for survivors. The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake was centered near San José del Palmar in the western Chocó region, which borders the Pacific Ocean. The area includes communities affected by extensive destruction and difficult rescue conditions.
President Abelardo De la Espriella, who had been inaugurated only days earlier, traveled to Quibdó, the capital of Chocó, and ordered the mobilization of the military and police, along with engineers, rescue workers and search dogs. He also said resources were being provided to more than 1,400 affected families and individuals. Injured people and others needing urgent medical care were being transferred to Medellín, where available hospital capacity was being used.
The Trump administration pledged $15.5 million in emergency assistance. According to the State Department, the funding will support emergency shelter, food, protection and earthquake assessments. The department said the United States stood ready to assist President De la Espriella’s government as it evaluated needs on the ground. The Associated Press contributed to the report.
Entities: Colombia, 7.4-magnitude earthquake, Chocó region, Cali, Pereira • Tone: urgent • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
13-08-2026
Colombia’s earthquake rescue operation entered a critical “final phase” on Wednesday as crews raced to find survivors before the first 72 hours after the disaster elapsed. The magnitude 7.4 earthquake, described as the strongest to hit the country this century, killed 265 people, injured more than 3,500 and left almost 500 missing, according to local authorities.
In Pereira, rescuers concentrated on the remains of a collapsed bakery, where they believed street vendor Pablo Loaiza could still be alive. Vibration-detection equipment reportedly picked up possible signs of life, and relatives said the trapped man responded to rescuers by knocking from beneath the debris. The prospect of a rescue drew anxious relatives and onlookers to the site.
Officials stressed that the end of the initial 72-hour window did not mean survivors could no longer be found, but that the chances would become lower. Teams in Cali and Pereira worked through a third night using their hands, cranes and sniffer dogs, periodically silencing the area so they could listen for people underground. Three people had been rescued alive and three bodies recovered, according to one volunteer.
The disaster has destroyed more than 11,000 homes and left thousands of families homeless. Residents in affected communities, including El Cairo and Roldanillo, faced power outages, damaged businesses, fear of aftershocks and the prospect of rebuilding their lives. Many people slept outdoors because their homes were unsafe or because they were afraid to return.
The newly installed president declared an economic emergency and three days of national mourning. At the same time, communities mobilized to deliver water, food and other supplies, while blood-donation centers saw long lines. The article portrays both the severe human cost of the earthquake and the continuing efforts of rescuers, officials and ordinary Colombians to respond.
Entities: Colombia, Pereira, Cali, El Cairo, Roldanillo • Tone: urgent • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
13-08-2026
China has offered assistance to Colombia following a magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck the country’s western region on Monday and killed more than 200 people. The pledge comes as Colombia’s newly elected president, Abelardo de la Espriella, is moving closer to the United States, a policy shift that has left Beijing waiting for clearer engagement. China’s ambassador has reportedly sought the appointment of a Colombian coordinator for relief-related cooperation, but that request remains unanswered.
At a briefing in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said China would help in suitable ways and in accordance with Colombia’s requests. He did not specify the form or scale of the assistance. Guo also said that no Chinese nationals had been reported killed or injured, while the Chinese embassy in Bogota was working to verify the safety of Chinese citizens in affected areas. The embassy advised citizens to remain alert to secondary hazards, including aftershocks.
President Xi Jinping sent condolences to President de la Espriella on Tuesday, expressing sympathy to the families of those killed and to the injured. Xi said the Colombian people would work together to recover and rebuild under the new government.
The China International Development Cooperation Agency separately said it was closely monitoring the disaster and would provide support in appropriate ways, subject to Colombian requests and within China’s capacity. The response illustrates Beijing’s willingness to maintain ties and offer humanitarian assistance despite uncertainty over the direction of Colombia’s foreign policy. The article also highlights the limits of China’s immediate diplomatic influence, as its relief proposals await coordination with Colombian authorities.
Entities: China, Colombia, Beijing, Abelardo de la Espriella, Xi Jinping • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
13-08-2026
A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck western Colombia on Monday has killed at least 265 people, according to President Abelardo de la Espriella. The disaster destroyed buildings, damaged roads and crushed vehicles, while rescue teams continued searching through rubble in the hardest-hit cities of Cali, Pereira, Manizales and Quibdo.
The search has become increasingly urgent because the first 48 to 72 hours after a major earthquake are considered the most critical period for finding survivors. Hundreds of people remain officially listed as missing. President de la Espriella said nearly 500 people were reported missing, but civilian-run databases placed the number above 4,100, indicating significant uncertainty about the scale of the disaster. More than 25,800 families have reportedly been affected.
Regional partners began sending tonnes of aid to Colombia on Wednesday as the government attempted to coordinate relief efforts. The crisis has placed considerable pressure on the country’s new president and his administration, while civil society groups have also mobilized to help communities most severely affected by the earthquake.
De la Espriella said the government’s immediate priority was locating people who remained unaccounted for. Rescue crews worked against fading hopes and the risk of further loss of life as they picked through collapsed structures. The scale of destruction and conflicting missing-person figures underscored the logistical and humanitarian challenges facing Colombia’s emergency response.
Entities: Colombia, Abelardo de la Espriella, Cali, Pereira, Manizales • Tone: urgent • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
