Powerful Earthquake Strikes Panama Causing Building Collapses and Tsunami Warnings

A massive 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Panama on Friday, collapsing buildings near its center and triggering tsunami warnings across the region. The U.S. Geological Survey said the tremor hit at a depth of 10 kilometers, with its epicenter located about 10 kilometers southwest of Pitaloza Arriba in the central province of Herrera. The agency initially reported the reading as magnitude 8 before revising it to 7.6 and finally 7.7. A second powerful 6.6 magnitude earthquake struck later in the afternoon following multiple aftershocks. About 4.6 million people felt moderate to severe tremors, and seismologists at the University of Panama recorded over 45 aftershocks, including several measuring 5.8, 5.5, and 5.2.

Damage And Response

Damage was heaviest in the central provinces of Veraguas, Herrera, and Los Santos. In the city of Penonomé, a person was injured by debris from a partially collapsed structure, and a local cathedral suffered a partial collapse, cracked walls, and a fallen spire. The governor's office building, the Dos Continentes hotel, and the historic Church of San Atanasio in Los Santos also sustained damage, while large fissures opened on roads in Veraguas. In Panama City, about 200 kilometers away, frightened residents gathered outside, a maternity ward was evacuated, and falling roof debris caused minor impacts, though capital skyscrapers escaped structural damage. President José Raúl Mulino urged calm on X, stating that the event must not be used to cause panic. Omar Smith of the National Civil Protection Service confirmed no immediate casualties. Tocumen International Airport temporarily suspended operations for safety checks, while the Panama Canal Authority reported normal traffic along the global trade route after technical teams inspected facilities. International reactions included messages of support from Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella, and the U.S. Embassy monitored the safety of its citizens in the country. The National Weather Service initially issued tsunami warnings for coasts in Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Guatemala, with alerts extending to El Salvador and Chile's Easter Island, before the U.S. Tsunami Warning System confirmed there was no threat.

Context

Panama sits along the seismically active Ring of Fire, where tectonic interactions between plates like the Cocos, Nazca, and Caribbean frequently trigger powerful seismic events. Major earthquakes in the country are relatively rare, with the last catastrophic event occurring in 1991 in the border region near Costa Rica. The nation was notably scheduled to hold a national earthquake evacuation drill just three days after this disaster.