Colombia's Quindio province battered by devastating quake as landslides, blackouts hamper recovery

Landslides, collapsed neighborhoods, and prolonged communication blackouts have paralyzed parts of Quindio province, one of the areas hardest hit by the devastating 7.5-magnitude earthquake that struck northwestern Colombia, as emergency crews race to clear blocked roads and restore essential services.

As of 06:30 local time on Saturday, the earthquake has killed 294 people and injured 3,935 others, according to the latest figures released by Colombia's National Unit for Disaster Risk Management.

Quindio province, located in Colombia's renowned coffee-growing region, suffered widespread destruction. Residential buildings, hospitals, schools and commercial facilities across multiple municipalities sustained varying degrees of damage.

Roads remained closed due to earthquake-triggered landslides, with yellow warning tape and no-entry signs restricting access to repair vehicles. Only emergency personnel were allowed to enter. Along the blocked routes, heavy machinery were deployed to clear piles of mud, fallen rocks and broken tree branches, while communication and power repair crews work in parallel to restore basic services.

In the town of Quimbaya, known for its coffee and plantain cultivation as well as rural tourism centered on coffee estates and countryside landscapes, the toll was visible across the community.

Entire rows of homes collapsed, multiple commercial facilities and buildings were severely damaged, and residents were seen busy clearing rubble and attempting to repair what remained of their properties.

The earthquake dealt a significant blow to the local coffee industry. Due to prolonged communication blackouts in rural areas, coffee growers' cooperatives were unable to reestablish contact with parts of the producing regions until more than 90 hours after the disaster.

"A census is currently being conducted on the losses inflicted by the earthquake to coffee growers. We were cut off from communication and haven't been able to determine the exact level of damage, but we know that the coffee-growing delta region, particularly the rural area, is severely affected: homes, coffee processing plants, coffee production infrastructure, and all commercial activity. Entire neighborhoods are in ruins. A significant portion of the commercial sector has been left in ruins," said Lilia Ines Cardona Vargas, manager of the Coffee Growers Cooperative of Quindio.

Colombia's Quindio province battered by devastating quake as landslides, blackouts hamper recovery

The average daily raw coal production by large-scale industrial firms in China during the first half of 2026 hit the second-highest historical level for the period, the China National Coal Association reported, underscoring coal's continued status as the mainstay of China's energy security.

Enterprises with annual main business revenue of 20 million yuan or more produced 13.07 million tonnes during the first six months, the association revealed.

As the backbone of China's energy system, coal output has maintained steady operation in 2026, delivering solid support for national energy security amid high seasonal demand.

China has now entered the peak summer energy consumption season, with temperatures in most parts of the country above the perennial average and some regions struck by periodic heatwaves.

To cope with extreme weather and shore up coal supply for the summer peak, the coal sector has tapped into the strengths of large-scale modern and intelligent coal mines, keeping national coal production and distribution stable and orderly.

"Across major coal-consuming industries, coal-fired power generation grew roughly 3 percent year on year in the first six months, serving as a vital bottom-line guarantee for peak summer power supply. Coal consumption for chemical production rose 7.3 percent from a year earlier, driving steady growth in overall coal demand," said Zhang Hong, vice president of the China National Coal Association.

Looking ahead to the second half of 2026, experts said they expect China's macro-economy to sustain steady and relatively fast expansion. With wider application of "AI plus" scenarios and surging energy demand from big data and computing power, overall energy consumption will continue climbing. In this context, coal will remain the mainstay of China's safe and stable energy supply and a key force providing fundamental backup.

China's coal output remains sufficient in H1, bolstering summer power supply