The official toll of the earthquake that shook Colombia on August 10 rose this Saturday to 294 deceased, 320 missing, and 3,935 injured, according to the report from the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) as of 6:30 a.m. on August 15.
The earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 Mw had its epicenter in San José del Palmar, Chocó department, and was classified by the Colombian Geological Service as the largest magnitude recorded in the country during the 21st century.
The impacts spread across 15 departments and 448 municipalities, affecting more than 115,000 people and 54,008 families directly.
The material damages are of enormous magnitude: 81,506 homes were affected, 14,493 were destroyed, and 66 buildings completely collapsed.
The critical infrastructure also sustained severe damage. According to the UNGRD, the earthquake affected 241 healthcare centers, 2,612 educational institutions, 3,621 community centers, 298 roads, 59 aqueducts, 44 vehicle bridges, and five airports.
The departments of Risaralda, Valle del Cauca, and Chocó accounted for the majority of the victims, according to information from the BBC.
San José del Palmar, a historically marginalized municipality in western Colombia with precarious infrastructure, was temporarily cut off due to landslides following the earthquake. Access to the area was partially reopened to a single lane a few days later.
The president Abelardo de la Espriella declared a national disaster and personally took charge of the emergency, activating a Unified Command Post and a National Crisis Room. "We will not leave you alone," he stated after announcing the declaration.
The government also declared an economic emergency and created the Miracle Fund for reconstruction, which includes rental subsidies, tax relief, and direct support for affected families.
On the international front, Colombia accepted rescue teams from Israel, Ecuador, El Salvador, and the United States. Washington announced an additional 11 million dollars in aid for the country.
From the charitable sphere, artist Nicky Jam sent his private plane loaded with supplies to Quibdó, Chocó, and together with Grupo Argos launched the campaign "Adopt a Home," with an initial donation of 13 billion Colombian pesos and a goal of 26 billion.
Starlink deployed connectivity in affected areas to restore communications in the regions most impacted by the disaster.
The UNGRD warned that the figures are still being updated: "The UNGRD continues to coordinate response and assistance actions in the affected areas. We will keep informing about the update of the figures."
This Saturday, aC-17 Globemaster III from the United States Air Force departed for Colombia loaded with emergency supplies: shelter materials, water, hygiene items, and hundreds of Starlink kits to provide connectivity to humanitarian organizations and the Colombian government.
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