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130+ Dead After Devastating Earthquake Hits Colombia; Colombian Rescue Crews Search For Victims Beneath Rubble; Colombia Bracing For Possible Aftershocks After 7.4 Quake. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired August 11, 2026 - 04:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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[04:30:12]

SANDOVAL: Welcome back to CNN Newsroom. More now on our top story. A massive 7.4 magnitude earthquake has left parts of western Colombia in ruins. The country has declared a state of national disaster and that mobilizes resources and rescue operations across several hard hit cities.

We know at least 132 people have been confirmed killed with hundreds more injured according to local authorities. And of course, that search for the missing continues. CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam has a closer look at what Colombia is calling its largest quake this century.

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Dramatic moments captured on camera during the most severe shaking from this powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake that struck western Colombia. Look at the debris falling from the sky. This is one of six airports that has sustained damage from this powerful shaking.

People just running for cover trying to protect themselves in whatever way they can underneath desks, underneath chairs. Wow.

This is a bird's-eye view near the epicenter. This is Cali, Columbia. And I want to point your attention towards these plumes of dust that are emanating into the sky that's likely damaged or fully collapsed buildings. We are particularly concerned about this part of Colombia near the epicenter.

Some of the video footage coming out of this area showing significant destruction. Look at this crack in the building right here. But there is also fully collapsed buildings where search and rescue efforts are underway. You can see first responders there digging through the rubble. This is a heap of steel and concrete that they are moving through at the moment, trying to find any survivors from this incredibly powerful earthquake. These visuals are astounding.

Let's talk about the earthquake because the epicenter is well west of Bogota, the capital city. But they felt the shaking here and surrounding areas because of the depth of the earthquake. This is a moderately deep earthquake, about 110km below the surface of the Earth. This allows seismic waves to propagate out further in all directions.

So locations well away from the epicenter will feel the shaking or have felt the shaking, I should say. Regardless, the damage has been done. There already have been reports of aftershocks.

The USGS places about a 1 in 4 chance that this could have fatalities exceeding 1,000 people. That is significant, and likely a regional or national response is needed for this particular event. There was about a million and a half people that felt very strong shaking, with nearly 9 million people feeling strong shaking.

In terms of aftershocks, this is what we would expect with a magnitude 7.4, one aftershock at least on average of 6.4 magnitude or greater. But we've already had aftershocks that have registered about a 5.0. We'll likely see more as the hours wane on.

This is all around the Ring of Fire. This is a collision of tectonic plates across the Pacific where it's home to about 450 volcanoes, but also 90 percent of the world's earthquake activity. Back to you.

SANDOVAL: Derek Van Dam. Thank you so much for that. And there's also a new NOAA report that says that July was the hottest month ever recorded for the continuous U.S. since 1895. The average temperature for the month was 76.9 degrees, and that's about 3.3 degrees above the 20th-century average.

In total, more than 600 monthly records for highest, maximum and minimum temperatures were set this year in July across the country. So that's certainly telling.

And the British government says that nearly three quarters of England is now experiencing drought. More than 25 million people have restrictions on their water usage as officials are warning that public water supplies do remain under pressure.

You see, drought conditions are being driven by the combination of low rainfall and higher temperatures, which is continuing this week as Britain endures its now fifth heat wave of the year.

To discuss more, i'm joined by carsten brzeski, the global head of macro for ing research. thank you so much for joining us.

CARSTEN BRZESKI, GLOBAL HEAD OF MACRO FOR ING RESEARCH: Good morning.

SANDOVAL: Good morning to you. So, from your expert perspective, how do you measure or how does one measure Europe's economic impact this summer, after record heat, droughts, wildfires?

BRZESKI: Well, you go through the potential channels and mechanisms: how these heat waves, wildfires, drought, low water levels can actually reach an economy, and start off with the heat waves. I think this is where you look in lower labor productivity, less hours worked, an impact on logistics. We have, for example, very few air conditions in public buildings, in hospitals. So this will also have an impact on economic activity.

[04:35:16]

And now the recent one is the low water levels, especially in the Rhine, but also in other European rivers. And this will be having a big impact on logistics, but also on industrial production. So then to come up with a number is, of course, very tricky. We have very, very little precedent of the last drought season was in 2018, but never has drought season started so early and has been so severe.

So, I think what we're currently doing is we expect a negative impact on German GDP growth of some 0.3 percentage points for the entire year. But for the rest, for all other European countries, it will be very similar.

SANDOVAL: Now, and you answered it was going to be one of my next questions to Carsten, which is these water levels in some of these major rivers, they're also used for shipping. I mean, you mentioned the Rhine. We've reported on the Danube as well. So, in your assessment, this will have a direct impact on a country's GDP?

I mean, it's that serious.

BRZESKI: That is that serious. And I think you have to look back, especially the Rhine, but also the Danube. But the Rhine is crucial for the German infrastructure, for German industry. In fact, German industry was built up in the late 19th century, early 20th century alongside the Rhine.

And so if the Rhine now is not able to actually get the shipping through, and we are reaching a point in which probably later this week there won't be any ships passing the Rhine anymore because it's impossible. We have single-digit water levels now.

I think the lowest level since 1880, since the statistics were recorded. So there is your logistics part, but then there's also the cooling part. Now, think of big industrial plants are located alongside the Rhine. They are using the water to cool production.

In France, for example, the nuclear power plants are using the water in order to cool. Now, with these low water levels, it means an impact on logistics, an impact on production, an impact on energy. So a kind of triple whammy for the European economy.

SANDOVAL: In your view, though, is there anything that members of these various sectors can actually do to try to mitigate the impact? We're talking about sectors, you know, some of which you just touched on. There's agriculture production.

I mean, we haven't even really fully talked about tourism yet. Or do they just sort of watch helplessly as the thermometer continues rising?

BRZESKI: No, we're not helpless here. Well, I think it's all about adaption. So there are a couple of mitigating factors, especially when it comes to the logistics part. Obviously, we have railways; we have trucks on the streets.

So that is something where we will be seeing already kind of some deviation from freight away from the waterways to the streets and railways. That is also happening.

For example, the German government announced that there are no kind of flexible the Sundays and holidays to use also the highways for truck freight. So that is a mitigating factor. For the other ones, when it comes to industrial production, that is harder. So it means that the companies will have to become more energy efficient. We also know that over the last couple of years, the vessels on the Rhine have also started to change in nature. They introduced smaller boats with lower, low, deeper boats. So that is also something that is happening, but that is a mitigating factor and its adaption.

You mentioned tourism. And I think that is something that will also shape the European economy over the next couple of years. Because in southern European countries, I guess that the tourism in the summer season will clearly be affected, and we will see that there will be something like a coolcation coming up. So more and more people actually moving to the northern part of Europe for their summer vacation, and for the euro -- for the seven European economies, tourism accounts for 13, 15 percent of GDP. So this will also clearly be a longer-term, gradual negative impact for the southern European economies.

SANDOVAL: We've had weather experts, Carsten, on this program, especially in light of these recent heat waves. And in their view, these heat waves have grown more intense, more frequent. They say it's all connected to the climate crisis -- the ongoing climate crisis.

[04:40:02]

So ultimately, in the last few seconds, I have with you maybe a closing thought. I mean, in your view, this is yet another result of this worsening of these climate impacts?

BRZESKI: It definitely is. And this season will be probably on the extreme side, but the trend over the last couple of years has been very clear. Summers in Europe are getting warmer and drier. So, the trend is pretty clear.

What we're currently seeing is probably an extreme doesn't mean that see the same extremes over and over again over the next couple of years, but the trend is very clear.

SANDOVAL: Yes. Yet another example of economic consequences because of the climate crisis. Carsten Brzeski, thank you so much for offering your expertise and your time. BRZESKI: Thanks for having me.

SANDOVAL: Of course. Still to come here on CNN News from the Trump administration's latest step to reduce childhood vaccines. It is not going over very well with doctors and scientists. We'll tell you what's the president's new executive order when we return.

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SANDOVAL: Scientists and doctors are denouncing President Trump's latest executive order targeting childhood vaccines. The wide ranging changes in the order. They go against broad and scientific consensus. But they also follow President Trump's own opinion on vaccines, and which are not backed by science or evidence.

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DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: I think it's going to make a big difference. You know, there are some groups that have virtually no problem with autism. And they, you know, I have to say this, they're groups that aren't big into the world of vaccines. So there's something wrong when we see record numbers all the time, every year, for years and years, every year gets higher, higher, higher autism.

And we think we have a very good recommendation, and a lot of good things are happening.

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[04:45:05]

SANDOVAL: And to be clear, extensive studies of vaccines have shown zero evidence of connection to autism. CNN health reporter Jacqueline Howard has more now on the Trump administration's controversial move.

JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: This executive order essentially overhauls the childhood vaccine schedule by separating childhood immunizations into three distinct categories.

In one category, the order does recommend these vaccines for all children; the MMR vaccine, that's measles, mumps, and rubella, DTaP, polio, Hib, pneumococcal, HPV, and chickenpox. But those are the only vaccines recommended for all in the executive order.

In another category, the order says that these immunizations can be based on making a shared decision with your doctors, but they would no longer be broadly recommended. This category includes hepatitis A and B, rotavirus, meningococcal disease, the flu shot, and COVID-19.

In a third category, the executive order includes immunizations recommended for certain high-risk groups. And this category includes the RSV immunization, among others. Another thing that the executive order does, it says the combined MMR vaccine should be administered in three separate single disease injections.

Now, the MMR vaccine has been administered as a combination injection since 1971, and some experts say by combining the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines into one injection, this is more convenient for patients. It means children have fewer needles, and it means that more children will likely get vaccinated because if you separate the vaccine into separate shots, you risk some children falling through the cracks because they may not come back for those additional injections. Now this executive order is getting some strong reactions from the

American Academy of Pediatrics and some other experts as well. The discussion is continuing around taking the combined MMR vaccine and separating it, around reducing the number of vaccinations children receive by overhauling the childhood vaccine schedule.

So we can expect to hear more discussions around this executive order in the days to come. Back to you.

SANDOVAL: All right, let's stay on health, and if you're in the U.S. check your fridge and your pantry and watch where you go swimming. This is after a new round of bacterial warnings emerges. Here, CNN's Karin Caifa with more.

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KARIN CAIFA, CNN NEWS SOURCE REPORTER (voiceover): More than a dozen Taylor Farms products ranging from burritos to salsa to guacamole and sold at major retailers across 26 states are being recalled because they include jalapeno peppers that may be contaminated with salmonella.

BARBARA KOWALCYK, INST. FOR FOOD SAFETY AND NUTRITION SECURITY, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIV. Check your refrigerator, check your freezer, make sure you don't have any of the recalled product and be informed of the risks.

CAIFA (voiceover): Consumers are urged to discard any recalled products immediately. And Taylor Fresh Foods says refunds are available at the point of purchase. And the company says it's no longer sourcing food from the company the products came from.

The latest recall comes amid the ongoing investigation into the multi state cyclosp outbreak. Barbara Kowalchyk, director of the Institute for Food Safety and Nutrition Security at George Washington University, says summer is prime season for these concerns.

KOWALCYK: These pathogens, whether it's a parasite or a bacteria, really do like hot, humid weather. So we have kind of our cyclospora season, our salmonella season, and unfortunately we're in that right now.

CAIFA (voiceover): But James Rogers, director of Food Safety a consumer report, says it's tough to tell right now why this summer has seen so many of these headlines.

JAMES ROGERS, DIRECTOR OF FOOD SAFETY, CONSUMER REPORTS: It's going to take some backwards investigation once these outbreaks and this season is done to really kind of identify what's going on.

CAIFA (voiceover): Meanwhile, in Louisiana, health officials are warning beachgoers about a flesh-eating bacteria found in coastal waters that's seen an uptick in cases this summer and has killed at least five people. Eating raw or undercooked shellfish from those waters, particularly oysters, can also lead to infection. In Washington, I'm Karin Caifa. (END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: Still to come, an artist who takes months and sometimes even years to complete a map you can't even use to find your way. We'll find out why he does it and show you his process for creating his maps of the mind.

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[04:53:28]

SANDOVAL: A British artist has become known for his intricate maps of cities around the world. But if you try to actually use one, you'd find it's really not much use. It's not your typical city map. Want to introduce you to Gareth Fuller. The journey is just as important as the destination for him.

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GARETH FULLER, BRITISH ARTIST, "MIND MAPS": My name's Gareth Fuller. I've been wandering and exploring cities for the last couple of decades. My long walks, they're part of my process to create what I call Maps of the Mind.

FULLER (voiceover): So when I'm exploring a city, I'm always looking for the corners to lift up. I'm looking for hidden meaning. I'm spending a lot of time on the ground. Sometimes it could be up to nine months. So much of what I'm doing is documenting my journey and research across the city, meeting people along the way.

These experiences become drawings in my work. It's the tragedy, the folklore, the comedy and culture. This is where a city really exists in my mind: its past, present and future. It's not always the obvious landmarks that make a city what it really is.

With my art, I'm exploring the landscape and the environment as a place of memory and imagination. I'm kind of mapping an emotional terrain, I suppose.

Back in the studio, I work with pen and ink, and I draw on cotton board. I delve into research notes and photos from my exploring, and I dive deeper into all sorts of resources to inspire that sense of place.

[04:55:09]

They're quite large canvases, and the work evolves slowly. I'm building up layers upon layers of rich tapestry of different drawings.

I drew the D.C. artwork during the presidential campaign in 2024, so it felt only right to pepper the artwork with a little playful satire. There was a Big Mac hanging from Marine One. I've also included a rocket taken off to Mars.

When I begin drawing, I tend to start with the natural topography. I draw rivers. I draw hills. It's the bones of a place. Then I start with the makeup.

I start creating the face. And this tends to be the culture, the memories, the thoughts and experiences that have shaped it.

FULLER: Friends call it an obsession. I probably think the truth lies in wearing very, very comfortable shoes.

FULLER (voiceover): I can't see an end to my wandering artworks. Perhaps it's a lifelong journey.

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SANDOVAL: Well, Jeff Bezos may be close to buying a stake in one of Europe's most prominent football clubs. News agencies reporting that Amazon founder that the Amazon founders' part of a consortium that wants to obtain about a of Liverpool Football Club.

While the former Champions League and English Premier League champs are already one of the most lucrative sports entities in the world, this new investment would raise their value to nearly $6 billion. The Fenway Sports Group, which acquired Liverpool 16 years ago, would still retain a majority stake and also control this football club.

Appreciate you watching the last hour of news. I'm Polo Sandoval in New York. CNN Headline Express is next.

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