The same earthquake never produces a uniform experience. The epicentre was in Chocó, but the human and urban impact extended towards Cali and the cities of the Coffee Region.
The heavy silence of Chocó
Around San José del Palmar and in rural areas, the first challenge was obtaining reliable information. Already fragile access and communications complicated assessment. In Quibdó, damaged buildings and disrupted services showed how one outage or blocked road can isolate an entire community.
Shock waves across Andean cities
In Cali, Pereira, Manizales and Armenia, authorities carried out evacuations and inspections. The earthquake’s depth helped its waves travel widely, while soil, terrain and construction explain strong local differences.
Rebuilding with inequality in mind
A damage map also shows where help can arrive quickly and where loss of connectivity becomes isolation. This territorial perspective must guide shelter, service restoration and reconstruction.
Watch the footage on YouTube
These Shorts document damage and search operations in the affected cities.