The news of the 7.4 magnitude earthquake that shook Colombia on Monday, August 10, 2026, occupied central spaces in major international media, which highlighted the magnitude of the disaster and the impact on cities such as Pereira, Cali, Manizales, and Quibdó.
The epicenter of the earthquake, recorded near San José del Palmar in the Chocó department, triggered a wave of reports and analysis worldwide, with preliminary assessments indicating at least 132 deaths and dozens of collapsed buildings in several regions of the country, according to the most recent official report.
The emergency in international agencies and reference newspapers
From very early on, agencies such as Associated Press (AP) and Reuters issued alerts and special reports about the earthquake. AP highlighted the strength of the phenomenon and its serious consequences for western Colombia, reporting the collapse of buildings, injured people, and rescue operations in critical areas.
Reuters emphasized the high number of casualties, the depth of the earthquake, and the rapid response of local authorities, who deployed emergency teams to the most affected cities.
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In its coverage, Reuters described: “A 7.4-magnitude earthquake shook much of Colombia this Monday, according to the Colombian Geological Service (SGC), and authorities reported damage in several cities such as Manizales, Cali, and Pereira”. Meanwhile, the US agency AP opened its report with the headline: “Earthquake in Colombia leaves at least 111 dead; president to declare national emergency”, and detailed scenes of rescuers and citizens removing rubble.
The tragedy, in European headlines and stories
The European press dedicated prominent space to the emergency. The Spanish newspaper El País headlined: “More than a hundred dead from the 7.4 magnitude earthquake in Colombia”, accompanying its publications with maps and videos illustrating the magnitude of the disaster and the rescue efforts. For its part, El Mundo included testimonies from citizens and first-person accounts, such as that of a family in Pereira: “It sounded very loud, we felt as if there were horses galloping under the house.”
In France, Radio France Internationale described the event as the “strongest earthquake in the last decade” in Colombia and cited Julio Fierro Morales, director of the Colombian Geological Service, who explained: “It was not a shallow earthquake nor did it occur near the surface. It had a considerable depth, of approximately 88 kilometers”.
