Colombia quake death toll rises to 265

On 13 August 2026, the death toll from an earthquake in Colombia rose to 265, with 496 people missing, and later figures reached 273 and 281 dead. The Washington Post earlier put it at 239. El Universal reported 3,824 injured. Rescuers raced against the clock as the survival window narrowed, and Colombia limited foreign rescue teams. A three-month-old baby and her father were found alive under rubble.

The quake strained Colombia's new government, and mourning was declared. Hospitals in the epicenter were overwhelmed, and the city of Pereira had a destroyed center. Spain's Foreign Ministry confirmed the death of a Spaniard, the UAE president directed $10 million in aid, and the quake weighed on the coffee industry and the wider economy.