A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck southern Panama on Friday, damaging buildings, triggering dozens of aftershocks, and prompting widespread evacuations across the country. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the tremor struck just before 15:00 local time (20:00 GMT) at a shallow depth of roughly 12 kilometers (7.5 miles). The epicenter was located about 12 kilometers west-southwest of the remote community of Pitaloza Arriba.
The strong shaking was felt by an estimated 4.6 million people, sending residents into the streets in Panama City and causing structural damage in central provinces including Veraguas, Herrera, and Los Santos. Emergency officials reported at least 27 injuries, primarily from falling debris, while authorities confirmed no immediate fatalities.
Buildings Damaged and Infrastructure Impacts
Footage and verified reports across central Panama highlighted significant structural damage. In the city of Penonomé, part of a local cathedral and its spire collapsed, while a nearby hotel sustained heavy damage. Local reports also noted damage to the historic Church of San Atanasio in Los Santos province and deep fissures splitting roadways in Veraguas.
In Panama City, located roughly 200 kilometers from the epicenter, high-rise buildings swayed violently, causing office workers and residents to evacuate into parks and streets. A maternity ward was among the facilities evacuated as a precaution. Tocumen International Airport briefly suspended operations for safety checks before reopening later in the day. Meanwhile, the Panama Canal Authority reported that marine traffic and operations along the critical global trade route continued normally without interruptions.
Strong Aftershocks and Tsunami Warnings
The initial 7.7 magnitude tremor was followed by a series of powerful aftershocks, including a 6.6 magnitude quake roughly two and a half hours later centered near Río Grande, and multiple tremors measuring 5.8, 5.5, and 5.2. Seismologists at the University of Panama recorded more than 45 aftershocks following the primary event.
The U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center initially issued tsunami warnings for Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and several other neighboring countries along the eastern Pacific. However, the alert was lifted shortly afterward once monitoring confirmed there was no active tsunami threat.
Government Response and Regional Context
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino urged calm following the disaster, stating that the government was fully mobilized to assess damage and assist affected citizens. All nationwide administrative offices and schools suspended operations. The National Civil Protection System (SINAPROC), led by Omar Smith, deployed teams to evaluate heavily impacted areas in the central provinces.
The seismic event occurred just days before Panama was scheduled to conduct a national evacuation drill. Seismologists noted that the earthquake was driven by the Azuero-Sona Fault System, part of Panama’s active seismic zone along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” where tectonic interactions between the Cocos, Nazca, and Caribbean plates frequently generate seismic activity.
