Colombia Rocked By 7.4 Magnitude Earthquake—its Largest In The Past Decade

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August 10, 2026

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Colombia rocked by 7.4 magnitude earthquake—its largest successful nan past decade

This seismic arena is of a akin magnitude to nan brace of earthquakes that deed Venezuela successful June

By Mary Randolph edited by Claire Cameron

A thoroughfare covered successful rubble pursuing an earthquake.

An earthquake of magnitude 7.4 deed Colombia connected Monday, sidesplitting dozens of group and destroying buildings crossed nan occidental portion of nan country.

The earthquake struck successful nan state of Chocó, astir 150 miles westbound of nan metropolis of Bogotá, astatine 7:34 A.M. section time, according to nan U.S. Geological Survey. This area is wherever nan Nazca, South American and Caribbean tectonic plates interact, causing predominant seismic activity.

It’s not clear what nonstop responsibility caused this earthquake, says independent earthquake intelligence Amilcar Carrera-Cevallos. What is clear, however, is that it occurred on a strike-slip fault, wherever these tectonic plates descent adjacent to 1 another, he says, and its extent indicates that nan arena was not caused by an relationship betwixt plates but alternatively arsenic a consequence of accent building up wrong nan Nazca plate.

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The earthquake occurred immoderate 66 miles (around 106 kilometers) beneath Earth’s surface, according to USGS. Earthquakes this deep are felt crossed a wide geographic area, but “that region intends nan power spreads retired and weakens earlier it reaches crushed level,” Carrera-Cevallos explains.

“The worst harm we’re seeing is concentrated wherever section ungraded conditions amplify nan shaking, for illustration sedimentary basins,” Carrera-Cevallos says. “Depth explains why nan shaking traveled truthful acold but deed much moderately, and magnitude explains nan full power released.”

The disaster comes weeks aft a brace of earthquakes pinch a akin magnitude struck Venezuela successful June. Those earthquakes had magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, respectfully, and struck wrong a infinitesimal of each other. Unlike today’s earthquake successful Colombia, Venezuela’s June quakes occurred connected 2 different responsibility systems astatine depths of little than 15 miles (around 24 km). That shallowness caused monolithic demolition wrong a mini area, arsenic good arsenic much than 5,000 deaths.

A group of concentric circles cropped wrong a rectangular framework are scaled to show nan amplitude of earthquakes measuring 4.0, 5.0, 6.0, 7.0, 8.0 and 9.0 connected nan Richter scale. Each full number summation corresponds to a 10-fold summation successful amplitude. A 2nd group of concentric circles cropped wrong a rectangular framework are scaled to show nan power released by earthquakes measuring 4.0, 5.0, 6.0 and 7.0 connected nan Richter scale. Each full number summation corresponds to a 32-fold summation successful energy.

In Colombia, section officials are still assessing nan harm caused by Monday’s seismic activity. Colombia’s Geological Service told nan Associated Press that it was “the highest magnitude earthquake registered successful Colombia successful nan past decade.” The country’s interior curate said successful a connection that much than 20 municipalities crossed nan state had been affected.

An arena of this benignant is not unprecedented for this circumstantial spot successful Colombia, Carrera-Cevallos says. A akin earthquake happened successful nan aforesaid region successful 1979.

“That tells america this is simply a recurring process wrong nan subducting Nazca sheet astatine this nonstop location, not a one-off anomaly," Carrera-Cevallos adds.

Editor’s Note (8/10/26): This is simply a breaking news communicative and whitethorn beryllium updated.

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