If someone is in immediate danger, dial 123 first. It is free from any phone in Colombia, including a foreign phone on roaming, and you do not add +57. Everything else on this page is for what comes after that call.
This companion to our earthquake travel update, lists the emergency lines that are in use after the magnitude 7.4 earthquake of August 10. The numbers have been checked against the organizations that operate them. Numbers created for a specific emergency get announced quickly and quoted loosely, and a wrong number in a crisis wastes a call that someone else needed to make. Every number below comes from the body that runs it, or from Colombian outlets agreeing with each other on what an official body announced. Where we could not confirm a number to that standard, we have left it out.
Colombia’s permanent emergency numbers, the ones that will still be right long after this event, are on our emergency contacts page.
Immediate Emergencies
| Line | Number | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| National emergency line | 123 | Police, ambulance, and fire, one operator, free, 24 hours |
| National Police | 112 | Connects with no SIM and no credit |
| Firefighters (Bomberos) | 119 | Direct line, and the line Pereira’s risk management office directs callers to |
| Ambulance | 125 | Direct health line |
| Red Cross (Cruz Roja) | 132 | Ambulance and humanitarian assistance |
| Civil Defense (Defensa Civil) | 144 | Natural disasters and civil emergencies |
Most 123 operators work in Spanish only. If you do not speak Spanish, have your address written down to read aloud, and say “emergencia, no hablo español” at the start.
If You Have Lost Contact With Someone
The Colombian Red Cross has activated its family contact restoration program, which traces people separated by an emergency and passes messages between them.
- WhatsApp: +57 321 213 9525
- Email: [email protected]
- General Red Cross lines: 01 8000 519 8534 nationally, or +57 601 794 6566 in Bogotá
The Red Cross is running the emergency response at the same time, so tracing requests can take a while to answer. Send the person’s full name, identity document number if you have it, last known address, and a recent photograph.
If You Are Searching for Someone Who May Have Died
The Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal y Ciencias Forenses handles identification and the release of bodies. It has asked relatives of missing people to come forward and give genetic samples so the DNA database can be matched against unidentified remains, and it has published guidance on identification, the documents needed to claim a body, and the attention points where staff will help people who cannot use the website.
- Website: medicinalegal.gov.co
Bodies identified in Cali are being released in Palmira, so check where a case is being handled before traveling to a facility.
If Your Building Is Damaged in Cali
The Alcaldía de Cali takes reports of structural damage, which feed the RUFE register that determines who receives assistance.
- WhatsApp: +57 310 229 9708
- Platform: atencionsismo.cali.gov.co
Send the location of the building, photographs of the damage, and your name and contact number. Writing to the WhatsApp line returns an automatic message with a link to the platform, which the city opened when the volume of reports outgrew the WhatsApp queue.
Cali also runs psychosocial support on WhatsApp at +57 350 732 9841.
The National Disaster Authority
The Unidad Nacional para la Gestión del Riesgo de Desastres coordinates the national response and publishes the official casualty and damage balance. It is an institutional contact rather than an emergency line, and it keeps office hours, Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Free national line: 01 8000 113200
- Switchboard: +57 601 552 9696
- Email: [email protected]
For anything urgent, call 123 instead.
If You Are a Foreign Traveler
Your embassy is the right contact for a lost passport, a hospitalized relative, or a death abroad. The full directory, with addresses and after-hours lines, is on our emergency contacts page and in our directory of embassies in Colombia.
| Country | Line |
|---|---|
| United States | +57 601 275 2000, press 0 for after-hours emergencies. From the US or Canada, +1 888 407 4747; from abroad, +1 202 501 4444 |
| United Kingdom | +57 601 326 8300 in business hours, or the FCDO’s 24-hour line on +44 20 7008 5000 |
| Canada | +57 601 657 9800, or +1 613 996 8885 collect, after hours |
| Australia | +57 601 657 8030, or +61 2 6261 3305 after hours |
Numbers We Are Not Publishing
Several lists circulating since August 10 carry numbers we could not confirm with the body that would operate them. We have left them out rather than pass them on.
We are also not linking readers to citizen-run missing persons registries. At least one has been widely described as an official reporting channel; its own site states that it does not replace the authorities, judicial bodies, rescue agencies, or the official emergency lines. For a missing person, the channels above are the ones that connect to the search.
Números de Emergencia por el Terremoto del 10 de Agosto
Versión en español de la información anterior.
Si hay una vida en riesgo, marque primero el 123. Es gratuito desde cualquier teléfono en Colombia, incluido un celular extranjero en roaming, y no debe anteponer el +57.
Este complemento a nuestra actualización de viaje sobre el terremoto reúne las líneas de emergencia en uso tras el terremoto de magnitud 7,4 del 10 de agosto. Los números fueron verificados con las entidades que los operan. Los números creados para una emergencia específica se anuncian rápido y se citan sin cuidado, y un número equivocado en una crisis desperdicia una llamada que alguien más necesitaba hacer. Cada número aquí viene de la entidad que lo opera, o de medios colombianos que coinciden sobre lo anunciado oficialmente. Lo que no pudimos confirmar con ese estándar, no lo publicamos.
Los números permanentes de emergencia en Colombia están en nuestra página de contactos de emergencia.
Emergencias Inmediatas
| Línea | Número | Qué es |
|---|---|---|
| Línea nacional de emergencias | 123 | Policía, ambulancia y bomberos, gratuita, 24 horas |
| Policía Nacional | 112 | Conecta sin SIM y sin saldo |
| Bomberos | 119 | Línea directa |
| Ambulancia | 125 | Línea directa de salud |
| Cruz Roja | 132 | Ambulancia y ayuda humanitaria |
| Defensa Civil | 144 | Desastres naturales y emergencias civiles |
Si Perdió Contacto Con un Familiar
La Cruz Roja Colombiana activó su programa de restablecimiento del contacto familiar.
- WhatsApp: +57 321 213 9525
- Correo: [email protected]
- Líneas generales: 01 8000 519 8534 a nivel nacional, o +57 601 794 6566 en Bogotá
Envíe el nombre completo, el número de documento si lo tiene, la última dirección conocida y una fotografía reciente. La Cruz Roja atiende la respuesta a la emergencia al mismo tiempo, así que las solicitudes de búsqueda pueden tardar.
Si Busca a Una Persona Fallecida
El Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal y Ciencias Forenses adelanta la identificación y la entrega de cuerpos, y ha pedido a los familiares de personas desaparecidas acercarse para la toma de muestras genéticas. En su sitio web están los requisitos, los documentos necesarios y los puntos de atención presencial.
- Sitio web: medicinalegal.gov.co
Los cuerpos identificados en Cali se están entregando en Palmira.
Si Su Vivienda Resultó Afectada en Cali
La Alcaldía de Cali recibe los reportes de daños que alimentan el Registro Unifamiliar de Emergencias (RUFE).
- WhatsApp: +57 310 229 9708
- Plataforma: atencionsismo.cali.gov.co
Envíe la ubicación del inmueble, registro fotográfico, y su nombre y número de contacto. Quien escriba al WhatsApp recibe un mensaje automático con el enlace a la plataforma.
La ciudad también atiende apoyo psicosocial por WhatsApp en el +57 350 732 9841.
Unidad Nacional Para la Gestión del Riesgo de Desastres
Coordina la respuesta nacional y publica el balance oficial. Es un contacto institucional, no una línea de emergencia, y atiende de lunes a viernes de 8:00 a. m. a 5:00 p. m.
- Línea gratuita nacional: 01 8000 113200
- Conmutador: +57 601 552 9696
- Correo: [email protected]
Para algo urgente, marque el 123.
Sources
- Cruz Roja Colombiana, national lines and donation channels
- ICRC, useful information for people affected by the earthquake in Colombia, August 13, 2026, confirming the family contact restoration channels
- Alcaldía de Cali, damage reporting platform, as reported by Semana, El País, and Infobae
- UNGRD, published contact channels
- Medicina Legal, identification and release of bodies, as reported by Semana and Vanguardia
- El País, Cali attention routes and help lines, August 16, 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What number do I call in an emergency in Colombia?
Dial 123 from any phone in Colombia. It is free, it works 24 hours a day, and one operator dispatches police, ambulance, or fire. It works on a foreign phone roaming in Colombia, and you do not add the +57 country code. If your phone has no SIM or no credit, dial 112 instead.
How do I find a relative I have lost contact with after the earthquake?
The Colombian Red Cross has activated its family contact restoration program. Write to its WhatsApp line on +57 321 213 9525 or email [email protected]. For people who may have died, the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences handles identification and is asking relatives of the missing to come forward for genetic sampling.
How do I report earthquake damage to my building in Cali?
The Alcaldía de Cali takes damage reports on WhatsApp at +57 310 229 9708, and has since opened a reporting platform at atencionsismo.cali.gov.co. Send the location, photographs, and your name and contact number. Anyone writing to the WhatsApp line receives an automatic reply linking to the platform.