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More than 100 killed after strongest quake this century hits western Colombia

Cnbc · · 867 words · By Reuters
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What to know about More than 100 killed after strongest quake this century hits western Colombia

More than 100 people were killed after a powerful earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, toppling buildings, damaging hospitals and infrastructure and trapping people beneath the rubble in the country's strongest earthquake this century.

Claims checked 18
Techniques found 0
Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left17%
Center66%
Right17%

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

What happened

More than 100 people were killed after a powerful earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, toppling buildings, damaging hospitals and infrastructure and trapping people beneath the rubble in the country's strongest earthquake this century.

Why it matters

The quake struck just days after Abelardo De La Espriella was sworn in as president, thrusting the new administration into its first major crisis, with memories still fresh of devastating twin earthquakes in neighboring Venezuela in June.

Common ground

"The national government has all of its capabilities deployed to protect lives, assist affected communities and deliver aid wherever it is needed," he said in a national address around 1 p.m.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/11/colombia-earthquake-cali-de-la-espriella.html

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 18 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 8
check_circle Corroborated 6
verified Verified By Reference 3
info Single Source 1
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Claim 1: “the country's strongest earthquake this century”
CORROBORATED
Four independent news sources (Phys, Sowetan, The Hindu, Nbcwashington) all report that Colombia's Geological Service identified this as the strongest quake in the 21st century.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country located in South America, with insular regions in North America. Colombia's mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colombia
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Colombian may refer to: Something of, from, or related to the country of Colombia Colombians, persons from Colombia, or of Colombian descent For more information about the Colombian people, see: Demo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colombian
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Colombians (Spanish: Colombianos) are people identified with the country of Colombia. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Colombians, several (or all) of these …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colombians
+ 4 more evidence sources
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Claim 2: “Authorities in Cali, Armenia and Manizales announced curfews”
CORROBORATED
The Guardian is cited twice as reporting that authorities in Cali, Armenia, and Manizales announced curfews.
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cross reference SUPPORTS — Authorities in the cities of Cali, Armenia and Manizales announced curfews
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/aug/10/74-magnit…
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cross reference SUPPORTS — Authorities in Cali, Armenia and Manizales announced curfews
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/10/colombia-earth…
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Claim 3: “De La Espriella promised 1,000 additional security personnel for the city [Cali]”
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.
verified
Claim 4: “giving a death toll of 111”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
While the president's identity is verified, the provided evidence does not contain a specific statement from him giving a death toll of exactly 111. Web results for 'President' are generic LinkedIn profiles.
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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 — Ana Lucía Pineda Aruachan (born 8 October 1987) is a Colombian businesswoman and the first lady of Colombia since 2026 as the second wife of Abelardo de la Espriella, the 38th President of Colombia. B…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ana_Lucía_Pineda
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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 5: “Colombia's civil aviation authority suspended operations at several airports in the region, including Pereira, Manizales, Quibdo, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura”
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
Claim 6: “saying 35 people had died there [Valle del Cauca province], while 700 had been injured”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific figures (35 dead, 700 injured in Valle del Cauca) appear in one web search result describing the president's figures, but are not corroborated by other independent sources in the provided evidence.
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web search NEUTRAL — Experience award-winning contemporary Mexican cuisine at Valle in Oceanside, led by Chef Roberto Alcocer and inspired by the flavors of Baja California.
https://www.valleoceanside.com/
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web search NEUTRAL — This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Valle. If an internal link incorrectly led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valle
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web search NEUTRAL — "Valle makes a comfortable and durable glove that provides infielders with the ability to train pocket accuracy in order to catch balls more cleanly and efficiently."
https://vallesportinggoods.com/
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Claim 7: “the Petronio Alvarez festival... has 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.
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Claim 8: “devastating twin earthquakes in neighboring Venezuela in June”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results and a cross-reference confirm twin earthquakes occurred in Venezuela in June 2026.
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web search NEUTRAL — On 29 June 2026, Venezuelan National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez reported that the twin magnitude-7.2 and 7.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/venezuelas-twin-earthquakes-n…
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web search NEUTRAL — Twin Earthquakes Kill 188 in Venezuela, Leaving La Guaira a Disaster Zone. Venezuela's acting president declared a nationwide state of emergency after the strongest earthquake to strike the country in…
https://easternherald.com/2026/06/26/venezuela-twin-earthqua…
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web search NEUTRAL — Seismic Doublets or twin Earthquakes caused devastation in Venezuela in June 2026. Read here to understand the phenomenon better.
https://www.clearias.com/seismic-doublet-twin-earthquakes/
+ 1 more evidence source
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Claim 9: “The U.S. Geological Survey said the 7.4-magnitude quake struck at a depth of 107 km (66 miles)”
CORROBORATED
The Daily Maverick and other cross-references confirm the USGS reported a 7.4 magnitude quake at a depth of 107 km.
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web search NEUTRAL — To narrow your search area: type in an address or place name, enter coordinates or click the map to define your search area (for advanced map tools, view the help documentation), and/or choose a date …
https://earthexplorer.usgs.gov/
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web search NEUTRAL — Which earthquakes are included on the map and list? Felt something not shown – report it here.
https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/map/
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web search NEUTRAL — Part of the U.S. Department of the Interior, the USGS began in 1879 to study the nation’s lands and resources. Today, we monitor, analyze, and predict Earth’s changing systems.
https://www.usgs.gov/
+ 1 more evidence source
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Claim 10: “De La Espriella visited Quibdo, the capital of coastal Choco province”
CORROBORATED
The Guardian and The Boston Globe both report that De la Espriella visited Quibdo, the capital of Chocó province.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On 10 August 2026, a Mw 7.4–7.5 earthquake struck the department of Chocó in Colombia, killing at least 331 people, injuring more than 4,600 others, leaving 240 confirmed missing and causing extensive…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Colombia_earthquake
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country located in South America, with insular regions in North America. Colombia's mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colombia
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2011 Colombian regional and municipal elections were held on 30 October 2011, to elect the governors of 32 departments and their Department Assemblies, the mayors of 1,099 municipalities and thei…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Colombian_regional_and_mu…
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 11: “footage from Manizales showed one of the side towers of the city's landmark neo-Gothic cathedral collapsing”
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.
verified
Claim 12: “The quake struck just days after Abelardo De La Espriella was sworn in as president”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia confirms Abelardo de la Espriella was inaugurated as President on August 7, 2026. The earthquake occurred on August 10, 2026, which is 'just days after'.
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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…
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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 — Defenders of the Homeland (Spanish: Defensores de la Patria) is a far-right political party in Colombia, founded by Abelardo de la Espriella to support his candidacy for the 2026 presidential electio…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defenders_of_the_Homeland_(Col…
+ 2 more evidence sources
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Claim 13: “Colombia's coffee region was devastated by a magnitude 6.2 earthquake in 1999 that killed more than 1,000 people, particularly around Armenia and Pereira”
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 14: “The Colombian Geological Service said it had recorded 21 aftershocks by late Monday”
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.
verified
Claim 15: “More than 100 people were killed after a powerful earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia confirms a 7.4-7.5 magnitude earthquake struck Chocó, Colombia on August 10, 2026, killing at least 331 people, which exceeds the 'more than 100' claim.
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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 — Hermanitas Calle (English: Soul Sisters), is a Colombian telenovela produced by Asier Aguilar for Caracol Televisión and distributed by Caracol Televisión Internacional. This based on the life of Colo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermanitas_Calle
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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 16: “Colombia sits along the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire”
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 17: “a four-story building crumbled in Pereira during the quake”
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 18: “Some local media have cited a national total of 132 deaths”
CORROBORATED
Two separate web search results mention a national death toll of 132 reported by local media or as a confirmed count.
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web search NEUTRAL — The president later provided figures only for Valle del Cauca province, where Cali is located, reporting 35 deaths and 700 injuries. Some local media cited a national death toll of 132, though the ori…
https://www.kiprinform.com/en/news/powerful-earthquake-in-we…
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web search NEUTRAL — The deadly coronavirus has 132 lives in China with confirmed infections surging to nearly 6000 cases.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86li7HDhefI
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web search NEUTRAL — Colombia Earthquake Death Toll: 132 Confirmed Dead and 87 Injured Across Five Departments.Pereira recorded 40 confirmed deaths, the highest toll of any single city. The airport terminal ceiling partia…
https://universalnest.com/colombia-earthquake-choco/
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.