France, EU join international aid effort after Colombia earthquake
Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella – just three days after being sworn in – declared a state of emergency and vowed an all-out rescue effort after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia shortly after 7:30am on Monday.
The quake killed 132 people and injured more than 570 as of Monday afternoon, according to the Colombian Association of Capital Cities (Asocapitales), a group coordinating major cities across the country.
The epicentre was near San José del Palmar in the western department of Choco, around 400 kilometres west of Bogota.
France, alongside Israel, Mexico and Ecuador have offered assistance, while the United States announced $15.5 million (€13.4 million) in emergency relief.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US was "closely monitoring" the situation and "stands ready to support the people of Colombia."
European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen said the EU had mobilised Copernicus, a satellite service, to help with rescue operations.
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Meanwhile, Colombian volunteers and rescuers cleared rubble with their bare hands and buckets to search for survivors early Tuesday.
The city of Pereira, in the heart of Colombia's coffee-growing region, was among those hit hardest by the earthquake.
"We're without power. This seems honestly like a zombie city," resident Juan David Gaitan told French news agency AFP.
Tattoo artist Andres Hernandez said he was worried about his family and friends, adding that he would stay awake because structures around him were "on the verge of collapsing." Residents and emergency personnel inspect the site of a collapsed building after an earthquake, in Dosquebradas, Colombia, 10 August, 2026.
There were scenes of destruction in several cities, with furniture and fabrics sandwiched between concrete, walls and floors tossed into irregular angles, and cabling strewn across roads.
In Manizales, the quake crumpled a tower of the city's beloved neo-Gothic cathedral.
In Quibdo, the capital of Choco, local official Jenny Rivas said public services and communications "have been virtually shut down."
"People ran out naked, people jumped from the second floor of their homes," Quibdo resident and law student Wilmer Cuesta recalled.
Regional impact
The quake was felt across Colombia, including the capital Bogota, where crowds rushed out into the street in their pyjamas.
At a depth of 110 kilometres, the quake was also felt in neighbouring Ecuador and Panama.
Experts at the US Geological Survey said the quake was likely caused by movement along a deep fault within the Nazca tectonic plate.
Hospitals in five Colombian cities were put on red alert Monday and a nighttime curfew was declared in Cali, according to local authorities.
At least six local airports suspended operations, the civil aeronautics agency said.
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In Cali, Colombia's third-largest city, volunteers quickly went to work with picks, basic tools and their hands to try to find survivors.
Rescuers formed human chains to remove bricks and masonry, stopping every few minutes to listen for signs of life from those trapped below.
"We are trying to get everyone out alive," said Andres Felipe Mejia, another volunteer.
"A lot of people have come, with supplies, with food, helping the firefighters, helping the people," he said.
The devastation comes less than two months after powerful twin quakes rattled neighbouring Venezuela, killing over 6,300 people and leaving tens of thousands homeless.
(with AFP)