BOGOTA, 21st August, 2026 (WAM) -- The Colombian government has declared a 30-day state of emergency in 15 areas affected by the devastating earthquake that struck earlier this month.
The National Unit for Disaster Risk Management said on Thursday that the death toll had risen to 319, while more than 4,500 people were injured and another 260 remained missing.
The state of emergency will allow the government to mobilise funds more quickly for emergency assistance and reconstruction work, as well as reallocate state resources.
President Abelardo de la Espriella said in a post on X that the scale of the tragedy required action on several fronts at the same time, including continuing the search for the missing, caring for the injured and affected, restoring vital infrastructure to operation, and beginning preparations for the reconstruction of affected areas.
According to preliminary estimates by the National Planning Department, reconstruction costs are expected to reach around 40 trillion Colombian pesos, or US$12 billion.