The European Union has pledged €2 million in emergency humanitarian aid and activated its Copernicus satellite system to support rescue operations, as the death toll from Monday’s magnitude 7.4 earthquake in western Colombia rose to at least 250, surpassing earlier official counts. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the funding for the hardest-hit communities, while EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas expressed the bloc’s deepest condolences and confirmed a crisis consular mechanism was in place for affected EU nationals.
The quake, which struck at a depth of about 100 kilometres, was felt as far away as Ecuador, Panama and Venezuela, and has injured more than 1,600 people and destroyed hundreds of buildings. In Pereira, most of the 480,000 residents lost electricity, and President Abelardo de la Espriella announced housing subsidies for the displaced during a visit to the city. The United States has offered $15.5 million in emergency assistance.
Pope Leo XIV expressed sorrow over the disaster and the Vatican sent an initial €100,000 in financial aid, while the EU is also channeling support through the German Red Cross in affected areas.