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At least 240 killed in Colombia's biggest earthquake in years

EuroNews · 🇫🇷 public France · · 569 words · By Gavin Blackburn; Javier Iniguez De Onzono
International Humanitarian Aid Natural Disaster Response Human Interest/Victim Narratives
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Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella, just three days after being sworn into office, has declared a state of emergency.

Claims checked 16
Techniques found 1
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center88%
Right12%

8 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella, just three days after being sworn into office, has declared a state of emergency.

Why it matters

Colombian volunteers and rescuers sifted through rubble with bare hands and buckets on Tuesday, hunting for survivors following a massive 7.4-magnitude quake that has claimed the lives of at least 240 people and injured more than 1,300 others.

Common ground

The quake struck several cities across Colombia's picturesque coffee region and Pacific shortly after 7:30 am on Monday, sending panicked residents onto the streets as buildings crumbled.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.euronews.com/2026/08/11/at-least-132-dead-570-injured-after-colombia…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 70% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 16 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 8
schedule Pending 6
help Insufficient Evidence 1
cancel Disputed 1
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Claim 1: “In Manizales, an AFP journalist saw many damaged buildings, including the crumpled tower of the city's beloved neo-Gothic cathedral.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources, including EWTN News and ArchDaily, confirm the partial collapse or damage to the tower of the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary in Manizales.
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web search NEUTRAL — Partial collapse of one of the towers of the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary in Manizales, Colombia, due to the earthquake of Aug. 10, 2026. (photo: Archdiocese of Manizales). Eduardo Ber…
https://www.ncregister.com/cna/earthquake-in-colombia-causes…
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web search NEUTRAL — A magnitude 7.4 earthquake in Colombia damages heritage buildings, hospitals, and universities in Manizales, Cali, Pereira, and Armenia.The earthquake has caused 111 deaths according to official repor…
https://www.archdaily.com/1183077/magnitude-earthquake-damag…
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web search NEUTRAL — A powerful earthquake has damaged buildings across Colombia, with dramatic visuals showing a tower of Manizales’ historic cathedral collapsing as debris crashes onto streets below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfXGyCOB1-A
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Claim 2: “a nighttime curfew was declared in Cali, according to local authorities.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources confirm a nighttime curfew was declared in Cali by local authorities.
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web search NEUTRAL — Colombia’s new president, Abelardo de la Espriella, declared a state of emergency and vowed a concerted rescue effort.Hospitals in five Colombian cities were put on red alert on Monday and a nighttime…
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/aug/10/74-magnit…
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web search NEUTRAL — Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella — just days into the job — declared a state of emergency and vowed a concerted rescue effort.Hospitals in five Colombian cities were put on red alert Monda…
https://today.lorientlejour.com/article/1544214/colombia-scr…
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web search NEUTRAL — Hospitals in five Colombian cities were put on red alert on Monday and a nighttime curfew was declared in Cali, local authorities said.
https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2026/08/12/2…
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Claim 3: “At a depth of 110 kilometres, the quake was also felt in neighbouring Ecuador and Panama.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided in the search results regarding the specific depth of 110 kilometers or the quake being felt in Ecuador and Panama.
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Claim 4: “At least six local airports suspended operations, the civil aeronautics agency said.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm that at least six local airports suspended operations as stated by the civil aeronautics agency.
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web search NEUTRAL — Six airports in Colombia suspend operations.At least six local airports suspended operations, the civil aeronautics agency said. The quake was felt across Colombia including Bogotá, the capital, where…
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/aug/10/74-magnit…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — At least six Colombian airports suspended operations. Residents in San Jose del Palmar, near the quake's epicentre, were also being warned to be on alert for aftershocks.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-11/colombia-earthquake-m…
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web search NEUTRAL — At least six local airports suspended operations, the civil aeronautics agency said. Colombian pop megastar Shakira led the calls for unity.
https://www.thejournal.ie/search-and-rescue-efforts-underway…
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Claim 5: “Hospitals in five Colombian cities were put on red alert on Monday”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources (The Guardian, L'Orient Today, Taipei Times) explicitly state that hospitals in five Colombian cities were put on red alert on Monday.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Barranquilla (; Latin American Spanish: [baraŋˈkiʝa] ) is the capital district of the Atlántico department in Colombia. It is located near the Caribbean Sea and is the largest city and third port in t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barranquilla
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The simple-station Hospital is part of the TransMilenio mass-transit system of Bogotá, Colombia, opened in the year 2000.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hospital_(TransMilenio)
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Medellín ( MED-ay-(Y)EEN; Spanish: [meðeˈʝin] or [meðeˈʎin]), officially the Special District of Science, Technology and Innovation of Medellín (Spanish: Distrito Especial de Ciencia, Tecnología e Inn…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medellín
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 6: “The quake struck several cities across Colombia's picturesque coffee region and Pacific shortly after 7:30 am on Monday”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia (Pacific coast and Coffee Region) shortly after 7:30 am on a Monday.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Cathay Pacific Airways Limited, or simply Cathay Pacific, is the flag carrier of Hong Kong, with its head office and main hub located at Hong Kong International Airport. The airline's operations and …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathay_Pacific
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Medellín ( MED-ay-(Y)EEN; Spanish: [meðeˈʝin] or [meðeˈʎin]), officially the Special District of Science, Technology and Innovation of Medellín (Spanish: Distrito Especial de Ciencia, Tecnología e Inn…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medellín
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States military began executing airstrikes on vessels in the Caribbean Sea in September 2025, described by the administration of President Donald Trump as part of an effort to fight the flo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_strikes_on_alleg…
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 7: “The quake was felt across Colombia, including the capital Bogotá”
CORROBORATED
Although the specific 'Evidence for claim 8' section was empty, the evidence provided for claim 6 explicitly states: 'The quake was felt across Colombia including Bogotá, the capital'.
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Claim 8: “Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States was "closely monitoring" the situation”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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Claim 9: “France, Mexico, Ecuador and Israel also offered assistance.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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Claim 10: “a massive 7.4-magnitude quake that has claimed the lives of at least 240 people and injured more than 1,300 others.”
DISPUTED
While sources agree on the 7.4 magnitude, the death toll is inconsistent. Some sources report 111 deaths, others 132, 169, and the claim mentions 'at least 240'. There is no source provided that confirms the 240 figure; rather, they report lower numbers.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Women's duet technical routine competition at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships was held on 18 and 21 July 2025.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artistic_swimming_at_the_2025_…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Convair CV-240 is an American airliner that Convair manufactured from 1947 to 1954, initially as a possible replacement for the ubiquitous Douglas DC-3. Featuring a more modern design with cabin p…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convair_CV-240_family
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This article is an alphabetical list of cities and towns in Colombia and their populations, according to the 2005 census. The list is sorted by department first, then by city. Capital cities are displ…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_and_towns_in_Co…
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 11: “Experts at the US Geological Survey said the quake was likely caused by movement along a deep fault within the Nazca tectonic plate.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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Claim 12: “Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella, just three days after being sworn into office, has declared a state of emergency.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent web sources confirm President Abelardo de la Espriella declared a state of emergency shortly after taking office. Wikipedia confirms his inauguration date as August 7, 2026, and web results mention the declaration occurred 'just three days after being sworn in'.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Presidential elections were held in Colombia on 31 May 2026. Incumbent president Gustavo Petro, elected in 2022, was constitutionally barred from seeking a second term. Abelardo de la Espriella defea…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Colombian_presidential_el…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Abelardo Gabriel de la Espriella Otero (born 31 July 1978) is a Colombian lawyer, businessman, and politician who has served as the 36th president of Colombia since 2026. He is the founder and leader …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abelardo_de_la_Espriella
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Abelardo de la Espriella's inauguration as the 36th President of Colombia took place on Friday, August 7, 2026. It was the 40th Colombian presidential inauguration marking the beginning of his four-ye…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inauguration_of_Abelardo_de_la…
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 13: “The devastation comes less than two months after powerful twin quakes rattled neighbouring Venezuela, killing over 6,300 people and leaving tens of thousands homeless.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web sources and a Wikipedia entry for '2026 Venezuela earthquakes' confirm that twin quakes in Venezuela occurred on June 24, 2026, killing over 6,300 people, which is less than two months before the August Colombian quake.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Bell UH-1N Twin Huey is a medium military helicopter designed and produced by the American aerospace manufacturer Bell Helicopter. It is a member of the extensive Huey family. The initial version …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_UH-1N_Twin_Huey
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Tetas may refer to: Tetas de Liérganes, a mountain in Cantabria, Spain. Tetas de Viana, twin mountains in Guadalajara Province, Spain Tetas de María Guevara, Isla Margarita, Venezuela Tetas de Cerro …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetas
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On 24 June 2026, doublet large strike-slip earthquakes affected northwestern and central Venezuela. The epicenter of the first earthquake was in Veroes Municipality, west of San Felipe, the capital ci…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Venezuela_earthquakes
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 14: “European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU had mobilised Copernicus, the bloc’s satellite service, to help with rescue operations.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 15: “All upcoming professional football matches have been postponed.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 16: “The US later announced $15.5 million (€13.4 million) in emergency relief.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.