France has joined the European Union and a host of countries in offering assistance to Colombia, where volunteers and rescuers are searching for survivors following Monday's deadly earthquake.
Issued on: 11/08/2026 - 12:08
3 min Reading time
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. Colombia conference aims for ‘more honest conversation' to speed fossil fuel exit 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."
