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This topic is currently dormant in the news cycle. It was last covered on Wednesday 12 August 2026 and has not appeared in recent broadcasts.
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What was reported
A plain summary of this topic, built from the channels that covered it.
On 12 August 2026, UK television news reported on the aftermath of a major earthquake in Colombia. The quake, with a magnitude of 7.4, struck western Colombia on Monday, causing significant damage in cities including Cali and Pereira. Both BBC News and Sky News reported ongoing rescue efforts, with teams searching collapsed buildings for survivors. The death toll was reported differently: BBC News cited at least 240 killed, while Sky News reported more than 250 deaths according to local sources. Missing person figures also varied, with BBC News initially reporting nearly 200 missing and later over 3,000, while Sky News said thousands were missing. Colombia's newly elected president, identified as Abelardo de Lesbrieja by Sky News, declared a state of emergency or national disaster. International assistance was offered by the US, Mexico, Ecuador, and France, according to BBC News. Sky News also reported that King Charles had sent a message of support. The earthquake came less than two months after twin earthquakes in Venezuela, which killed over 6,000 people, as noted by BBC News.
Key Claims by Channel
Monday 10 August 2026
| Claim |  |  | BBC NEWS Signed |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Widely reported · 6 or more of 7 channels | |||||||
| A 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck Colombia, with its epicenter on the Pacific coast. | BBC NEWS SignedReported by BBC NEWS Signed | Reported by Sky News | |||||
| The death toll was reported as at least 47, with some reports exceeding 100. | Not reported by BBC NEWS Signed | Reported by Sky News | |||||
| Reported by a few · 2–5 channels | |||||||
| The tremor was felt in Bogota and as far away as the border with Venezuela. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC NEWS Signed | Reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | ||
| The president declared a national emergency. | Reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC NEWS Signed | Not reported by Sky News | |||
| The president suspended his schedule to focus on the disaster. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC NEWS Signed | Reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| The president was inaugurated on Friday. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC NEWS Signed | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| At least 20 buildings collapsed in Cali. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC NEWS Signed | Reported by Channel 4 | Reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| Several airports were damaged or suspended operations. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC NEWS Signed | Reported by BBC One | Reported by Channel 4 | Reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| Communications were disrupted in affected areas. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC NEWS Signed | Reported by BBC One | Reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| The earthquake struck during the morning rush hour. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC NEWS Signed | Reported by BBC One | Reported by Channel 4 | Reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| The earthquake was reported as the most powerful in a decade. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC NEWS Signed | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Reported by Sky News | ||
| International aid and support were offered, including from the US. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC NEWS Signed | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| Nearly 5,000 homes were reported damaged or collapsed. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC NEWS Signed | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| Only on one channel | |||||||
| More than 500 people were injured. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC NEWS Signed | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| The quake lasted several minutes. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC NEWS Signed | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| The earthquake had a depth of 96 kilometers. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC NEWS Signed | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| Damaged roads and communications outages hampered operations. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC NEWS Signed | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| At least 47 people died in the San Jose del Palma region. | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC NEWS Signed | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| Looting was reported and security was deployed. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC NEWS Signed | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| Deaths were reported concentrated in Pereira. | Reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC NEWS Signed | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| More than 3,000 people were missing. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC NEWS Signed | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
Tuesday 11 August 2026
| Claim | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Widely reported · 5 or more of 6 channels | ||||||
| A 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck Colombia, with its epicenter on the Pacific coast. | Reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | ||
| The death toll was reported as at least 47, with some reports exceeding 100. | Reported by Channel 4 | |||||
| Reported by a few · 2–4 channels | ||||||
| The president declared a national emergency. | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | ||
| The president suspended his schedule to focus on the disaster. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | |
| The president was inaugurated on Friday. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| At least 20 buildings collapsed in Cali. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by Sky News | ||
| The earthquake was reported as the most powerful in a decade. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Reported by ITV | |
| Two earthquakes in Venezuela less than two months ago killed more than 6,000 people. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| Rescue operations were ongoing. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| The government declared a national emergency or disaster and the president suspended his schedule to focus on the disaster. | Not reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Reported by Channel 4 | Reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| International aid and support were offered, including from the US. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | |
| The disaster's death toll was reported as exceeding 100, with some reports giving a figure of at least 240. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| Only on one channel | ||||||
| The tremor was felt in Bogota and as far away as the border with Venezuela. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| More than 500 people were injured. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| The quake lasted several minutes. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| The worst affected area was San Jose del Palma. | Reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| The earthquake had a depth of 96 kilometers. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| A state of emergency was declared and local airports were closed to the public. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| Damaged roads and communications outages hampered operations. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| There were fears of aftershocks. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| The quake was felt in Bogota and Ecuador. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| The US offered support. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| This was the strongest earthquake to hit the country this century. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| At least 47 people died in the San Jose del Palma region. | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| Looting was reported and security was deployed. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by Sky News | |
| More than 3,000 people were missing. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| More than 100 aftershocks occurred following the earthquake. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck the Choco region. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| The earthquake death toll reached at least 240 people. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| The earthquake struck western Colombia, including the Choco region. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| The quake struck at around 7:30 in the morning. | Reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| The earthquake death toll was reported at different stages, from at least 69 to at least 240, with over 3,000 missing. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| The earthquake initially killed at least 69 people. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
Wednesday 12 August 2026
| Claim | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Widely reported · 5 or more of 6 channels | ||||||
| Reported death tolls from the earthquake varied, with figures ranging from at least 47 to at least 240. | Reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Reported by Channel 4 | Reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| Reported by a few · 2–4 channels | ||||||
| A 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck Colombia, with its epicenter on the Pacific coast. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| The president declared a national emergency. | Reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News | |
| The earthquake was reported as the most powerful in a decade. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| Broadcasters reported different numbers of missing people, ranging from nearly 200 to more than 3,000. | Reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News | |
| A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck the Choco region. | Reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| The earthquake struck western Colombia, including the Choco region. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| Reported death tolls ranged from at least 69 to more than 250. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| Colombia's newly elected president is Abelardo de Lesbrieja, in office since Friday. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| The disaster's death toll was reported as exceeding 100, with some reports giving a figure of at least 240. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| Only on one channel | ||||||
| The quake lasted several minutes. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| About a third of the population in Choco lives in poverty. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| More than 100 aftershocks occurred following the earthquake. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| The earthquake death toll reached at least 240 people. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| The cities of Cali and Pereira were among the worst affected. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| Around 5,000 homes were damaged. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| Dozens of multi-story buildings were reduced to rubble. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| The US, Mexico, Ecuador, and France offered assistance. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| Rescue teams pulled a cat from the rubble. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| A 35-year-old man was rescued after 20 hours. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| A woman was rescued after 16 hours. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| King Charles sent a message of support. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| The earthquake occurred less than two months after twin earthquakes in Venezuela that killed over 6,000 people. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| Security forces were sent to protect communities. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| The quake struck at around 7:30 in the morning. | Reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| The earthquake initially killed at least 69 people. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
This is a cross-channel consensus summary, not an objective account. Consensus can be uniformly wrong, or omit what only one channel covered.
Timeline
Where this topic appeared. Cells show coverage time and are darker when there was more coverage.
| Date | Channel 5 | BBC News | BBC One | BBC Two | Channel 4 | GB News | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday 12 August 2026 | — | 12m 19s 11.7% | — | — | 4m 19s 8.7% | — | — | 2m 25s 6.3% |
| Tuesday 11 August 2026 | 2m 43s 8.1% | 6m 24s 14.2% | 4m 8s 4.6% | — | 4m 54s 9.2% | — | 3m 5s 2.8% | 12m 30s 26.8% |
| Monday 10 August 2026 | 19s 0.9% | 8m 23s 12.0% | 7m 16s 8.5% | — | 9m 45s 20.3% | — | 6m 27s 6.2% | — |