Massive 7.4 magnitude earthquake hits Colombia, damages airports. Watch here

A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, collapsing buildings, trapping residents inside damaged structures, and shutting down key transportation hubs across the region. The violent tremors ripped through the South American nation and reached into neighbouring Ecuador and Venezuela, forcing panicked residents to evacuate homes and high-rises.

In the southwestern city of Cali, at least 20 buildings collapsed in the immediate aftermath, leaving an unknown number of people trapped beneath rubble. City officials immediately called for emergency reinforcements, with Mayor Alejandro Eder requesting specialized rescue teams from Bogota and Medellin to aid in the ongoing extraction efforts.

The epicenter was pinpointed near San Jose Del Palmar in the Choco region — a municipality located roughly 250 miles (400 km) west of Bogota. Joint reporting from the US Geological Survey (USGS) and Colombia’s seismic agency confirmed the quake struck at a depth of 66 miles (107 km).

Impact across the Choco region was swift and severe. Writing on social media, Choco Governor Nubia Córdoba reported that in the regional capital, “there are injuries and serious damage to buildings,” though further specifics on casualties remain preliminary.

The seismic shockwaves also crippled air infrastructure across western Colombia. The civil aeronautics agency announced on X that six airports had sustained damage and suspended all operations. The grounded air traffic affects key regional hubs serving Pereira, Manizales, Quibdo, Armenia, Cartago, and Buenaventura.

Tremors extended far beyond Colombia's borders, shaking parts of Venezuela and amplifying anxiety in a country still reeling from disaster. Just weeks prior, on June 24, 2026, Venezuela was struck by back-to-back earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude off its northern coast.

That shallow strike-slip event along the boundary of the Caribbean and South American tectonic plates destroyed hundreds of buildings and claimed more than 5,000 lives. The USGS is continuing to analyze incoming data from Monday's earthquake, noting that reported magnitude and intensity estimates may be revised as additional field observations become available.