Colombia earthquake survivor: 'Much, much stronger' than others

Andrés Salinas, a 34-year-old resident of Cali, recounted his terrifying experience during a magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck Colombia on Monday, August 10. He stated that he had never felt an earthquake of such intensity before, describing it as "much, much stronger" than previous seismic events he had endured.

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Much, much stronger

Salinas was stopped at a traffic light in Cali when the powerful tremor began. He witnessed vehicles, traffic signals, and trees swaying violently. "People started getting out of their cars because it was impossible to drive like that. The buses nearby also shook. And this lasted about four minutes," he told El Tiempo.

Colombia is prone to earthquakes due to the interaction of the Nazca, South American, and Caribbean tectonic plates, with the Colombian Geological Service reporting around 80 seismic movements daily. However, Salinas noted that this recent earthquake was significantly more powerful than others he had experienced, including one in Bogotá in 2023 that caused minor damage.

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People started getting out of their cars because it was impossible to drive like that. The buses nearby also shook. And this lasted about four minutes.

Fortunately, Salinas escaped unharmed. While he did not personally know any of the confirmed fatalities, he observed considerable damage in his neighborhood. "My neighbor suffered a strong impact; a wall collapsed. It's the part that is very close to my house, practically at the height of my window. No one was in that room at the time. Otherwise, it would have been something very serious," he explained. Following the earthquake, residents in Cali organized aid and rescue groups, and military personnel were visibly present throughout the city.

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My neighbor suffered a strong impact; a wall collapsed. It's the part that is very close to my house, practically at the height of my window. No one was in that room at the time. Otherwise, it would have been something very serious.