A magnitude 7.7 earthquake shakes Panama, prompting evacuations

A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake shook Panama on Friday morning, collapsing buildings near its epicenter and prompting evacuations across the country. The seismic event disrupted transport hubs and led to regional tsunami advisories before tapering into a series of aftershocks.

Seismic Specifications and Conflicting Readings

The earthquake occurred at 12:56 p.m. Local time on Friday, October 9. Different scientific institutions reported varying initial measurements due to differing assessment methods. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake was centered about 10 kilometers (6 miles) southwest of the remote community of Pitaloza Arriba, in the central province of Herrera. The USGS estimated the depth at approximately 10 kilometers (6 miles).

The USGS initially reported the quake as magnitude 8, then revised it to 7.6 and later to 7.7. Meanwhile, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued an initial report citing a magnitude of 8.0, and the University of Panama’s Institute of Geosciences recorded the event at magnitude 7.2.

Agency	Reported Magnitude	Notes
Pacific Tsunami Warning Center	8.0 (Initial)	Issued initial coastal threat advisory
U.S. Geological Survey	7.7 (Final revision)	Centered near Pitaloza Arriba at 10 km depth
University of Panama Institute of Geosciences	7.2	Local seismic monitoring network

Impact on Infrastructure and Transport

Visibly shaken residents of Panama City gathered outside as they waited for news of the quake’s impact on Friday. Evacuations were also reported at Metro facilities and stations while authorities assessed safety conditions. Rosendo Domínguez, 60, who is from Herrera province, where the earthquake struck, told The Associated Press by phone, stating: We felt it very strongly. It knocked things over in the kitchen, but we’re okay, though we’re very scared. He added that everyone was outside, scared.

Tocumen International Airport in Panama City, one of the region’s busiest airports with more than 20 million travelers in 2025, said it would temporarily suspend operations and activated evacuation plans. It said operations would resume once security conditions have been checked. In contrast, the Panama Canal Authority said operations were continuing normally along the key global trade route. It said its priority was the safety of employees, vessels and crews and that specialized technical teams were inspecting facilities for possible damage.

Structural Damage in Central Provinces

Omar Smith of the National Civil Protection Service said on the Telemetro Reporta news channel that damage was concentrated in the central provinces of Veraguas, Herrera and Los Santos. Smith said several injuries have been reported, including one person struck by debris from a partially collapsed structure in the city of Penonomé, around 93 miles (150 km) from the capital. He confirmed a partial collapse and cracks at the cathedral in the district’s main square, as well as damage in the governor’s office building and the Dos Continentes hotel. No casualties were immediately reported. Local news outlets also reported that the Church of San Atanasio, a colonial-style Catholic church in Panama’s Los Santos province, had collapsed. The church was declared a National Historic Heritage Site in 1938. Elsewhere, including in Veraguas province, large fissures ran along roadways.

Aftershocks and Regional Tsunami Advisories

Multiple aftershocks continued to rattle Panama, including several measuring magnitude 5.8, 5.5 and 5.2. Seismologists at the University of Panama recorded more than 45 aftershocks, though many were too weak to be felt.

The National Weather Service issued a tsunami warning Friday for the coasts of Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Guatemala. It warned that waves ranging from 3 to 9 feet (1 to 3 meters) above tide may occur in some coastal areas of Panama.

Official Response and Geological Context

Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino called for calm on Friday, writing on X: “What happened should not be used to cause alarm or disorder.” The U.S. Embassy in Panama said it was “closely monitoring” the aftermath of the quake and accounting for the welfare of its citizens in Panama, a well-known retirement destination for Americans. Nearby countries sent messages of support Friday afternoon.

Earthquakes are common, especially along Panama’s border with Costa Rica and its Pacific coast, because of the interaction of several tectonic plates, including Cocos, Nazca, and Caribbean plates. Panama lies along the “Ring of Fire,” a 40,000-kilometer (25,000-mile) arc of volcanoes and fault lines around the Pacific Basin, where most of the world’s earthquakes occur.

Next Steps

Emergency response teams and civil protection agencies continue to inspect damaged buildings, clear roadway fissures, and compile a definitive assessment of injuries and structural integrity across the affected central provinces. Operations at Tocumen International Airport remain paused pending the final clearance of security and control tower verifications, while regional populations remain on alert for potential aftershocks.