Colombia earthquake: the Cali school and the aid in Quibdó

The 2026 Colombia earthquake struck the west of the country on August 10 at 7:34 a.m., with a magnitude of 7.4 and its epicenter in San José del Palmar, Chocó, according to the Colombian Geological Survey (SGC), and left 331 people dead, according to the count from Colombia's National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) cited on September 11. In Cali, a building next to the Corporación Educativa Adventista collapsed onto the school courtyard shortly after the students went in for morning worship; all of them survived, according to Adventist Review. In Quibdó, the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) and Adventist rescuers helped affected families, the Inter-American Division (IAD) reported.

🌎What happened in the Colombia earthquake of August 2026?

The Colombian Geological Survey reported that the 7.4 Mw quake struck at 7:34 a.m. (local time), about 103 km deep, with its epicenter in San José del Palmar, Chocó. According to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), it was the strongest earthquake in the country in the past decade and the third largest by magnitude in Colombia's history, and it was felt in 16 departments.

The IAD reported that the shaking was felt in Cali, Pereira, Manizales, Bogotá and Medellín. On August 11, the Colombian government declared a national disaster for one year in twelve departments (Decree 1171 of 2026).

📊How many people died or went missing in the Colombia earthquake?

On the day of the quake, the IAD reported more than 100 deaths. PAHO's Situation Report 8, with a cutoff of September 11, 2026, and UNGRD data from September 8, listed 331 deaths confirmed by Colombia's forensic institute (Medicina Legal), 4,505 injured and 111 missing. Of all deaths, 93.4% occurred in Valle del Cauca, where Cali is located, and in Risaralda, home to Pereira. Chocó had 12 deaths but the highest share of affected people in the country: 18,401 people affected per 100,000 residents.

That was the most recent count published by PAHO when this story was reported. The figures are preliminary and may have changed since then.

Source: PAHO/WHO, Situation Report 8 (cutoff Sept. 11, 2026), with UNGRD data from Sept. 8, 2026. Preliminary figures, subject to revision.

🏫What happened at the Adventist school in Cali?

The school is in Cali. Adventist Review, the church's official magazine, calls it Corporación Educativa Adventista, and IAD reports call it CEA Cámbulos Adventist School. According to the magazine, a multistory building next to the school collapsed onto the open courtyard, and a rumor quickly spread, later proven false, that as many as 300 students were buried under the rubble.

The students had left the courtyard shortly before: the entrance bell sent them to chapel, where they were listening to the morning devotional when the ground shook. Chaplain Deiby Bustamante said the devotional, once held at 6:30, had been moved to 7:30 because some parents arrived late, and the school wanted no one to miss it. The earthquake hit at 7:34.

Principal Carolina Gómez gave the evacuation order at the first tremors. The protocol called for gathering the students in the courtyard, which would have been deadly, said Pastor Jeisson Andrade, president of the Pacific Colombia Conference. Every student was handed over to their parents unharmed.

If the building had collapsed just a few minutes before, the story would have been different.Pastor Andrade, president of the Pacific Colombia Conference, as quoted by Adventist Review, 2026

🤝How did ADRA and the church help in Cali?

Hours after the quake, members of churches in Cali fed rescue teams from Mexico and Israel, and the school became a warehouse and distribution center for donations, Pastor Andrade said. ADRA Colombia gave cash assistance cards to 144 families in the city, according to the IAD. Pastor Henry Beltrán, president of the South Colombia Union, cited Psalm 46:1: "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble" (NIV).

🚑How did ADRA and Adventist rescuers respond in Quibdó?

At the request of Chocó authorities, six rescuers from GARSA Medellín, an Adventist rescue group, reached Quibdó, the department's capital, around 2 a.m. on August 11 with an ambulance and prehospital care, and assessed whether damaged homes could still be occupied. GARSA coordinator José Sepúlveda told the IAD that deaths in the area were few, but that many homes could no longer be lived in.

ADRA Colombia opened collection centers in five cities. On August 19, together with the North Colombian Union and the Southwest Colombian Conference, it distributed more than 800 food packages in Quibdó; with 400 from other donors, the total passed 1,200. The church's assessment counted 23 damaged churches in Chocó and 382 affected members, 142 of them in 39 destroyed homes.

🛡️What to do in an earthquake in a building or at school?

The UNGRD's earthquake preparedness guide (Guía de Preparativos ante Sismo), from the Colombian government's disaster agency, asks people to stay calm during the shaking: no running, shouting or pushing. In buildings, schools included, the advice is to go to a safe area identified in advance, next to columns or under sturdy furniture, away from windows, and to stay crouched on the floor, on your side, with your hands crossed behind your neck until the movement stops. The guide advises against sheltering in a doorway, which can give way in concrete buildings.

Once the shaking ends, leave by the stairs, without using the elevator and without going back for anything, and head to the meeting point. According to the UNGRD, that point must be open, free of poles, signs or tall trees, and away from tall buildings. In Cali, the planned meeting point was the courtyard, exactly where the building fell. When you review your club emergency plan, check whether your meeting point passes this test.

🙏What can the Pathfinder Club learn from the Colombia earthquake?

The sources consulted do not mention Pathfinder Clubs in the response, and this article does not assume they took part. In the Unit, the topic calls for a serious conversation and an evacuation drill. The guide to ADRA and the Pathfinder Club shows how to serve together, and psychological first aid helps the Counselor support anyone who was left frightened. The science behind earthquakes is in the article on volcanoes and earthquakes, and another recent response is in our coverage of ADRA after the earthquakes in Venezuela.