Colombia: Magnitude 7.4 Earthquake Hits San José del Palmar in Chocó

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, August 10, 2026, with its epicenter near San José del Palmar in the Chocó department. The tremor was felt across the capital Bogotá, Cali, Medellín, and other major cities, and officials reported injuries and building damage in Quibdó, the provincial capital roughly 70 kilometers from the epicenter.

Editor’s note: This article draws on reporting by the Associated Press, Reuters, BBC News Mundo, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Colombia’s National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD), and statements from Chocó Governor Nubia Carolina Cordoba-Curi, August 10, 2026. Casualty and damage figures may be revised as assessments continue.

Epicenter near San José del Palmar

The quake hit at approximately 7:34 a.m. local time (12:34 UTC). The USGS placed the epicenter 5 kilometers east of San José del Palmar, a municipality on the eastern edge of Chocó near the Tatamá National Natural Park. The agency measured the event at magnitude 7.4 at a depth of about 107 kilometers.

Colombia’s geological services and the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) issued slightly different preliminary figures — a common pattern in the first hours after a major quake. UNGRD initially reported magnitude 6.6; later revisions from multiple agencies converged near 7.4.

Detail	Reported figure
Time (local)	~7:34 a.m., Aug. 10, 2026
Epicenter	Near San José del Palmar, Chocó
USGS magnitude	7.4
Depth	~79–107 km (agency-dependent)
Shaking intensity	Strong (VI) near epicenter (USGS)
Tsunami	No warning issued

Because the earthquake occurred at considerable depth, energy traveled across a wide area. Witnesses in Bogotá — roughly 400 kilometers east — reported prolonged swaying in high-rise buildings. Tremors were also felt in Antioquia, Cundinamarca, Meta, Valle del Cauca, and across the border in Quito, Ecuador, as well as parts of Venezuela and Panama, according to Reuters and AP witnesses.

Injuries and damage in Quibdó

Despite the epicenter’s proximity to San José del Palmar, the most serious confirmed impacts emerged in Quibdó, a city of about 150,000 people and one of Colombia’s poorest departmental capitals.

Governor Nubia Carolina Cordoba-Curi said on social media that Chocó had experienced a “severe seismic event” and that Quibdó had injuries and significant damage to buildings. She said authorities were conducting a damage assessment and would issue a first official report shortly.

Early images and local accounts from Quibdó showed cracked walls, debris in streets, and residents gathering outdoors. Some unverified social media posts suggested people may have been trapped under collapsed concrete; officials had not confirmed a death toll as assessments were underway.

Cordoba-Curi also urged residents to remain alert for aftershocks, a standard precaution after a major quake in a seismically active region.

Evacuations across Colombia

In Bogotá, a metropolitan area of roughly 11 million people, office workers and residents evacuated buildings as floors and walls swayed. Alarms sounded in several districts. Similar scenes played out in the Coffee Axis cities of Pereira and Manizales, where residents described intense shaking.

In Cali, Colombia’s third-largest city, people also left buildings as a precaution. Reuters witnesses reported shaking as far as Venezuela’s border region. No major tsunami threat was identified along Colombia’s Pacific coast following the event.

Official response

Colombia’s disaster-management agencies moved quickly to assess the situation:

• UNGRD issued initial seismic parameters and coordinated with regional authorities.
• Chocó’s governor activated damage surveys and public warnings about aftershocks.
• National geological services continued to refine magnitude and depth estimates as more seismic data arrived.

President Gustavo Petro had not issued a detailed national address by mid-morning local time, but Colombia’s established earthquake protocols — including municipal evacuation guidance and hospital readiness — were in effect across affected departments.

Seismic context

Colombia sits along the Pacific Ring of Fire, where the Nazca and South American plates interact and generate frequent seismic activity. Western departments such as Chocó, Valle del Cauca, and Cauca experience regular tremors, though events of this magnitude are uncommon.

Monday’s quake was among the strongest recorded near Chocó in decades. Its depth helps explain why shaking reached distant cities: deeper quakes can transmit energy across a broader surface area, even when peak ground motion near the epicenter is moderated.

Engineers and disaster officials often note that building standards, soil conditions, and maintenance matter as much as magnitude. Chocó’s infrastructure can be vulnerable to strong shaking — a factor likely to shape recovery efforts in Quibdó and surrounding municipalities.

What residents should know

Colombian authorities and international seismology centers recommend the following after a major earthquake:

• Expect aftershocks for days or weeks; each can cause further damage to weakened structures.
• Avoid damaged buildings until engineers clear them.
• Check on neighbors, especially older adults and people with mobility limitations.
• Use official channels — UNGRD, local civil defense, and municipal alerts — rather than unverified social media for evacuation orders.
• Prepare an emergency kit with water, documents, medications, and a flashlight if you live in a seismically active zone.

Travelers and residents in Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, and coastal cities should monitor updates from Colombia’s geological service and local government accounts.

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Discussion

A single deep quake near San José del Palmar reminded millions across Colombia how widely seismic energy can travel.

1. If you felt Monday’s shaking in Bogotá, Cali, or another distant city — did your building’s evacuation plan work, or was it improvised on the spot?

2. Quibdó reported the heaviest confirmed damage while much of the country only felt strong tremors. Should national disaster funding prioritize infrastructure in poorer, high-risk departments like Chocó?

Share what you experienced or what preparedness steps you take where you live.

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