10/10/2026
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10/10/2026
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PANAMA CITY, Oct 10: A powerful magnitude-7.7 earthquake struck Panama on Friday, followed by a magnitude-6.6 tremor and dozens of aftershocks, damaging buildings, cracking roads and prompting evacuations across the country.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) initially reported the main earthquake at magnitude 8.0 before revising it to 7.6 and subsequently 7.7. The quake was centred about 10 kilometres southwest of Pitaloza Arriba in Herrera province, at a depth of 10 kilometres. Tremors were felt in Panama City and neighbouring Colombia.
Buildings shook in the capital, prompting residents to evacuate into the streets. “We felt it very strongly. It knocked things over in the kitchen, but we're okay, though we're very scared,” Rosendo Domínguez, 60, from Herrera province, told The Associated Press. “Everyone is outside, scared.”
Authorities reported structural damage in the central provinces of Veraguas, Herrera and Los Santos. A historic church in Los Santos was reported to have collapsed, while cracks appeared in roads and buildings. Several injuries were reported, including a person struck by debris from a partially collapsed structure in Penonomé. Tocumen International Airport temporarily suspended operations as a precaution, while inspections were carried out to assess safety. The Panama Canal Authority said operations along the strategic waterway continued normally.
The powerful tremors also prompted tsunami warnings for parts of the Pacific coastline, including Panama and several other countries in Central and South America. Authorities monitored the situation as aftershocks continued.
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino urged the public to remain calm, writing on X: “What happened should not be used to cause alarm or disorder.”
