World · Latin America · 2 days ago
Magnitude 7.6 earthquake strikes Panama, prompting tsunami warnings
A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck off Panama’s southern coast on Friday, with its centre about 10 kilometres deep.
The shaking was felt in Panama City and Costa Rica’s capital.
People left homes, schools and businesses in several parts of Panama, and the government suspended afternoon classes nationwide.
Damage, including cracks in buildings and roads, was reported, but there were no confirmed reports of deaths or injuries in the accounts available.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center warned that dangerous waves could reach parts of the Pacific coasts of Panama and several neighbouring countries, including Mexico, Ecuador and Peru.
Colombia’s disaster agency later said there was no tsunami danger on its Pacific coast.
Authorities urged people to stay calm, and Panama’s Tocumen International Airport paused operations for checks; the accounts did not say when service would resume.
A major earthquake struck Panama on October 9, prompting evacuations and tsunami warnings for several Pacific coastlines.
The USGS initially measured the quake at magnitude 8.0, then revised it to 7.6 and later to 7.7.
The quake was centered near Pitaloza Arriba in Herrera Province, and shaking was felt in Panama City and neighboring Colombia.
Authorities reported damage in central provinces and injuries, but no casualties were immediately reported.
The tsunami alert was no longer in effect by Friday afternoon, according to Scientific American, while The Hindu reported warnings for several countries.
- Who
- Residents across Panama were affected; authorities reported damage and several injuries.
- What
- A major earthquake struck Panama. The USGS’s reported magnitude changed from 8.0 to 7.6 and later to 7.7.
- When
- Friday, October 9, 2026; the quake struck at 12:56 p.m. local time, according to Scientific American.
- Where
- Near Pitaloza Arriba in Herrera Province, Panama. Shaking was also felt in Panama City and Colombia.
- Why
- The quake occurred on a fault in a complex zone where major tectonic plates meet.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
We felt it very strongly. It knocked things over in the kitchen, but we’re okay, though we’re very scared,
What happened should not be used to cause alarm or disorder.
Because this was on land and shallow, you’re not on the seafloor, so it didn’t move the seafloor underneath the water column, and that’s what you need to generate a tsunami,
It was quite large compared to other earthquakes that have been seen in that area.
The earthquake struck near Pitaloza Arriba in Herrera Province.
Aftershocks continued, and people in Panama City gathered outside as buildings shook.
The National Weather Service issued tsunami warnings for Panama and several other countries; Scientific American reported that the alert was no longer in effect by Friday afternoon.
Tocumen International Airport suspended operations temporarily while security conditions were checked.
- Magnitude
- Initially 8.0; revised to 7.6 and later to 7.7 by the USGS
- Epicenter
- About 10 kilometers southwest of Pitaloza Arriba, Herrera Province
- Depth
- 10 kilometers, according to the USGS
- Shaking exposure
- About 4.6 million people experienced moderate to severe shaking, according to the USGS
- Damage areas
- Veraguas, Herrera and Los Santos provinces
- Aftershocks
- More than 45 recorded by seismologists at the University of Panama
Sources
Magnitude 7.6 earthquake shakes Panama, USGS reports
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