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Colombia earthquake causes mass casualties and infrastructure damage FAST-MOVING
A magnitude 7.4 earthquake, centered near San José del Palmar in the Chocó department, has caused widespread devastation across western Colombia. Death tolls vary by source, with official government figures reporting at least 181 fatalities, while local authorities in affected departments report at least 240 deaths. Unofficial reports suggest over 3,000 people may be missing.
Search and rescue operations are ongoing in cities including Cali, Pereira, Manizales, Quibdó, and Armenia. In Cali, rescuers successfully extracted a woman and a baby from the rubble of collapsed buildings. The earthquake has caused significant infrastructure damage, including the collapse of over 1,100 homes and buildings.
Transportation has been heavily impacted. While airports in Cali, Quibdó, and Armenia have partially or fully resumed operations, commercial flights remain restricted at the Matecaña International Airport in Pereira, as well as in Buenaventura, Cartago, and Manizales, due to structural damage to terminals and control towers. Airlines like LATAM have implemented fare caps for flights to affected regions.
International aid is mobilizing. Mexico has prepared a contingent of 255 specialized military personnel and significant humanitarian supplies, including medicine and food, pending a formal request from Colombia. El Salvador is also deploying 100 tons of humanitarian aid via cargo planes. Additionally, the Food Bank of Bogotá is preparing to send 50 tons of non-perishable goods to the hardest-hit municipalities.
Entities
Abelardo De La Espriella · Aerocivil · Aeronáutica Civil · Claudia Sheinbaum · Colombia · Donald Trump · Elsa Noguera · Inter-American Development Bank · Mexico · Nayib Bukele · San José del Palmar · United States
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 4 SOURCES] The airports in Cali, Quibdó, and Armenia have resumed operations. www.telesurtv.net · somosfan.com · www.telesurenglish.net
- [○ 1 SOURCE] LATAM set fare caps for flights to Cali, Armenia, and Pereira. colmundoradio.com.co
- [○ 1 SOURCE] There are over 2.2 million insured properties in Colombia against earthquakes.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] LATAM cancelled 49 flights affecting approximately 7,657 passengers. colmundoradio.com.co
- [● 17 SOURCES] The earthquake had a magnitude of 7.4. agorarn.com.br · www.lavanguardia.com · deultimominuto.net · elnuevodiario.com.do · lapatilla.com · +11 more
- [○ 1 SOURCE] MasOrange is providing free international calls and SMS from Spain to Colombia for 15 days.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] 442,514 insured properties are located in 105 municipalities across seven departments identified as high-impact zones.
- [● 4 SOURCES] Commercial operations remain restricted at the airports in Pereira, Buenaventura, Cartago, and Manizales. www.telesurtv.net · somosfan.com · www.telesurenglish.net
- [● 14 SOURCES] The Colombian government has recorded at least 181 deaths from the earthquake. lapatilla.com · xeu.mx · www.clicnoticias.com.mx · larazon.co · monitoreamos.com · +8 more
- [● 8 SOURCES] Authorities in the most affected departments report a death toll of at least 240. lapatilla.com · xeu.mx · monitoreamos.com · www.diariolibre.com · sapo.pt · +2 more
- [● 9 SOURCES] The earthquake's epicenter was near the municipality of San José del Palmar in the department of Chocó. lapatilla.com · xeu.mx · www.diariolibre.com · udgtv.com · www.krone.at · +3 more
- [● 5 SOURCES] The United States activated a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to support critical government operations and coordination. lapatilla.com · xeu.mx · www.diariolibre.com