Rescue workers and volunteers scrambled to clear debris as they searched for survivors in Colombia early Tuesday after the country was hit by the strongest earthquake on record. As of Monday afternoon, at least 132 people had been killed and more than 570 injured, according to the Colombian Association of Capital Cities, a group that coordinates major cities across the country. As of Monday night, more than 2,700 people had been reported missing. Many families posted information about their loved ones online, hoping to gain insight into their fate. The 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck cities in the western region of Colombia shortly after 7:30 a.m. local time, sending terrified residents into the streets. People search for survivors in the rubble of a collapsed building after an earthquake in Cali, Colombia, on August 10, 2026. Joaquín SARMIENTO /AFP via Getty Images The city of Pereira, one of the worst affected, was plunged into darkness on Monday night as volunteers combed the remains of collapsed buildings in search of survivors. “We are without electricity. Honestly, this looks like a zombie city,” resident Juan David Gaitán told the French news agency AFP. At Pereira airport, videos showed pieces of roof falling on sheltering and screaming travelers, and people running through the rubble in panic. The country’s president, Abelardo de la Espriella, who had been in office only three days, declared a state of emergency and promised a concerted rescue effort. Local residents join rescuers in clearing debris as they search for survivors in a collapsed building after an earthquake in Pereira, Colombia, on August 10, 2026. Luis ACOSTA/AFP via Getty Images Around 1,600 buildings across the country were damaged or collapsed, and in some places rescue workers and volunteers were seen clearing debris by hand. Dana Carolina Zamora posted an image of her missing uncle, Miguel Ángel Zamora, 60, cradling his dog. The farmer lived in a rural area of Cairo, not far from the epicenter of the earthquake in San José del Palmar. “We are afraid. We hope that it is not like that, that he is fine and that it is just a communication failure. But we have not heard anything from him,” Zamora said. De la Espriella announced Monday night that he had mobilized “the entire military and police apparatus” to respond to the tremor. A man carries a dog as he walks through the rubble of a collapsed building after an earthquake in Pereira, Colombia, on August 10, 2026. Jaime SALDARRIAGA /AFP via Getty Images US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a social media post on Monday that the Trump administration was closely monitoring the response to the earthquake and “stands ready to support the people of Colombia.” South Florida organizations are among U.S.-based humanitarian groups moving to send aid to Colombia. “There is a lot of damage and we are waiting for information on what the needs are. The first is rescue and recovery,” Fabio Andrade, Weston city commissioner and a Colombian-American, told CBS News Miami. More from CBS News Go deeper with The Free Press in:
