A magnitude 6.8 earthquake and resulting landslides killed an estimated 1,100 people across southwestern Colombia, prompting government creation of the Nasa Kiwe Corporation.
Key Facts
- Moment Magnitude
- 6.8
- Depth
- 12 km
- Estimated Death Toll
- 1,100 people
- Settlements Destroyed
- ~15 settlements
- Share of Deaths in Páez Municipality
- 50%
- Date
- June 6, 1994
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
A seismic event with a moment magnitude of 6.8 struck at a shallow depth of 12 km beneath the Páez River region in the Central Ranges of the Andes, in Cauca department, southwestern Colombia. The shallow focus amplified ground shaking and destabilized the steep Andean foothills surrounding the Páez municipality.
On June 6, 1994, the earthquake triggered extensive landslides and mudslides that swept through approximately 15 settlements along the Páez River basin in the Cauca and Huila departments. The Páez municipality, situated on the Andean foothills, bore the brunt of the destruction, with an estimated 1,100 people—predominantly indigenous Páez—killed.
The disaster prompted the Colombian government to establish the Nasa Kiwe Corporation, a dedicated relief and reconstruction agency tasked with rebuilding affected communities in the Páez River basin. The Páez municipality alone accounted for roughly half of all fatalities, drawing national attention to the vulnerability of indigenous settlements in seismically active Andean zones.
Human Cost
Each dot represents approximately 10,000 deaths. Total estimated: 1,100 (earthquake)