Archive · 11 Aug 2026
Powerful Earthquake Strikes Western Colombia, Killing at Least 77
Early on Monday morning, a very strong earthquake shook western Colombia.
The shaking knocked down buildings in several cities, and at least 77 people were killed.
Some people were trapped under piles of rubble.
The earthquake happened just days after a new president, Abelardo De La Espriella, had been sworn in.
It also came after twin earthquakes in nearby Venezuela killed more than 6,000 people in June.
The news report also lists the ten deadliest earthquakes in Latin American history.
The worst was in Haiti in 2010, when about 316,000 people died.
Another terrible one was in Peru in 1970, when a giant landslide of ice and rock buried the town of Yungay.
Many of these earthquakes were so deadly because buildings were not strong enough.
Even a famous naturalist named Alexander von Humboldt wrote about earthquakes in Latin America long ago.
A powerful earthquake struck western Colombia early Monday, Aug 10, killing at least 77 people and leaving others trapped in rubble.
The quake came days after right-wing lawyer Abelardo De La Espriella was sworn in as president and after twin June quakes in Venezuela killed more than 6,000 people.
The deadliest Latin American earthquake was the 2010 Haiti quake (magnitude 7.0), which killed about 316,000 people in Port-au-Prince and caused about $8 billion in losses.
The 1868 Ecuador-Colombia quakes (7.7) killed about 70,000, while the 1970 Peru quake (7.9) killed 66,794, with a landslide burying much of Yungay.
The 1939 Chile quake (8.3) killed 30,000 in Chillan and led to the country's first anti-seismic building code, and the 1812 Venezuela quake destroyed about 90% of Caracas.
- Who
- At least 77 people killed in the Colombia quake and those trapped in rubble; President Abelardo De La Espriella, a right-wing lawyer, sworn in days earlier; seismologist Cinna Lomnitz cited on the 1939 Chile disaster.
- What
- A powerful earthquake knocked down buildings across several western Colombian cities, trapping people in rubble; the report also lists Latin America's 10 deadliest earthquakes.
- When
- Early Monday, Aug 10, days after De La Espriella was sworn in; the historic quakes span 1797 to 2010.
- Where
- Western Colombia; the deadliest Latin American quakes struck Haiti, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Venezuela, Guatemala and Argentina.
- Why
- Latin America sits atop a complex network of fault lines; past high death tolls were driven by weak infrastructure and poor building practices.
- Colombia quake death toll
- At least 77
- Colombia quake date
- Early Monday, Aug 10
- Deadliest quake in Latin America
- 2010 Haiti earthquake, magnitude 7.0, about 316,000 deaths
- 1970 Peru earthquake
- Magnitude 7.9, 66,794 deaths, deadliest landslide in history
- 1868 Ecuador-Colombia earthquakes
- Magnitude 7.7, about 70,000 deaths
- 1939 Chile earthquake
- Magnitude 8.3, 30,000 deaths, prompted Chile's first anti-seismic building code
- 1812 Venezuela earthquake
- Magnitude 7.7, 26,000 deaths, destroyed about 90% of Caracas
- Venezuela twin quakes (June)
- Killed more than 6,000 people