Colombia reels after major earthquake kills at least 130 | First Thing

Buildings collapse and more than 470 people hurt in 7.4-magnitude quake. Plus, in such a vast universe why is there no sign of aliens? More than 130 people died after a powerful earthquake struck western Colombia , collapsing and severely damaging scores of buildings in main cities, including Cali and Pereira. The US and Colombian geological surveys reported that a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck at 7.34am local time on Monday, with its epicentre in the western department of Chocó. It was felt in neighbouring Venezuela, still reeling from a deadly double earthquake on 24 June.

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Scoop News DeskColombia · Published Tuesday, August 11, 2026 at 12:11 PM UTCUpdated Wednesday, August 12, 2026 at 3:06 AM UTC

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The quake killed at least 132 people and more than 570 were injured as of Monday afternoon, according to the Colombian Association of Capital Cities, which coordinates cities across the country. The Vermont senator cited recent reports that AI was used to develop new viruses , warning if this technology fell into the “wrong hands” it might “lead to new bioweapons that result in the deaths of tens of millions of people”.

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