A terrifying video captured the moment a building in Pereira, Colombia, shook violently and collapsed Monday as a magnitude 7.4 earthquake devastated the western part of the country.
At least 111 people were killed, and 87 others were injured as officials scrambled to assess widespread destruction, as reported by Fox News.
The footage shows the structure trembling while horrified witnesses scream from nearby. Sections of the building crumble into the street before the entire structure gives way in a massive cloud of dust and debris.
Colombian President Abelardo De La Espriella declared a state of emergency while rescue crews searched damaged and collapsed buildings across several cities.
The disaster erupted only days after he entered office, handing the new president an immediate and deadly test.
De La Espriella said: “The national government has all of its capabilities deployed to protect lives, assist affected communities and deliver aid wherever it is needed. The first priority is rescuing the people trapped under the rubble.”
Terrifying video: University Hospital collapses in Colombia after massive 7.4 earthquake pic.twitter.com/B48ZrqPrq5
— TaraBull (@TaraBull) August 10, 2026
The United States Geological Survey reported that the earthquake struck near San Jose del Palmar in Choco at a depth of approximately 107 kilometers, or 66 miles.
The United States tsunami warning system said the powerful quake did not create a tsunami threat.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Trump administration was watching the crisis and prepared to assist Colombia.
OMG, this is terrifying. Footage showing the shaking from the M7.2 earthquake that hit Colombia earlier.
Watch until the end.
Pereirapic.twitter.com/vS2slBg53X
— Volcaholic (@volcaholic1) August 10, 2026
Rubio wrote on X, “The Trump Administration is closely monitoring the large earthquake that struck Colombia and stands ready to support the people of Colombia and President @ABDELAESPRIELLA’s Administration.”
Rubio also urged Americans in Colombia to enroll in the State Department Smart Traveler Enrollment Program.
He advised travelers and residents to monitor updates from the United States Embassy in Bogota as emergency conditions continued.
Some of the most severe casualties were reported in western Colombia, where entire communities were left digging through rubble.
Authorities said at least 40 people died in Risaralda, which includes heavily damaged Pereira, while 27 were killed in Valle del Cauca, home to Cali.
Officials also confirmed nine deaths in Choco, two in Caldas and one in Antioquia, according to The Associated Press.
Rescue operations remained active as crews searched unstable structures and relatives waited for word about missing loved ones.
A construction site in Bogotá, Colombia, shakes violently as a powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake strikes the country pic.twitter.com/hU9Js9GTc8
— Surajit (@surajit_ghosh2) August 10, 2026
Cali Mayor Alejandro Eder said more than two dozen structures had collapsed across one of Colombia’s largest cities.
With people still trapped beneath the wreckage, city officials requested additional disaster response teams from Bogota and Medellin.
Eder told Blu Radio, “At this point, two people have already been rescued alive, one elderly woman and one young girl. There are more people trapped.”
He added, “We have at least 12 critical points and 25 collapsed structures that we are responding to.”
Emergency workers and residents continued moving through dangerous debris as the possibility of further collapses remained a serious concern.
7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck Colombia pic.twitter.com/w7kymoznGR
— Peché Africa (@pmcafrica) August 10, 2026
The earthquake’s epicenter was located near San Jose del Palmar in Choco, a sparsely populated province along Colombia’s Pacific coast.
Choco Governor Nubia Carolina Cordoba Curi reported injuries and significant damage in Quibdo, the provincial capital, while warning residents to remain alert for aftershocks.
Colombia’s civil aviation authority suspended flights at airports in Pereira, Manizales, Quibdo, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura.
Inspectors were dispatched to examine runways, terminals and other facilities for structural damage before normal operations could resume.
The national disaster agency said the earthquake struck at 7:34 in the morning local time and was felt across much of Colombia.
The shaking triggered evacuations, damaged buildings and sent frightened residents rushing into streets and open areas.
Witnesses also reported feeling the earthquake across the border in Venezuela, including in Tachira state and the central western city of Barquisimeto.
The tremors brought fresh alarm after twin earthquakes struck Venezuela in June and killed more than 6,000 people, mostly along the coast near Caracas.
Rescue crews now face the grueling task of reaching survivors while damaged buildings, blocked streets and continuing aftershocks complicate operations.
For Colombia’s new government, the priority is brutally clear: find the trapped, deliver aid, and prevent the death toll from climbing further.
