Massive earthquake strikes Panama at magnitude 7.6, tsunami threat issued
- On Friday, October 9, 2026, a powerful 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck southern Panama near Pitaloza Arriba at a shallow 10 km depth, shaking buildings in Panama City and triggering widespread evacuations across the country.
- Panama lies along the 'Ring of Fire,' a 25,000-mile arc of fault lines where seismic activity recurs; this marks the fourth Latin American earthquake exceeding magnitude 7.0 this year.
- National Civil Protection Service official Omar Smith reported damage concentrated in Veraguas, Herrera, and Los Santos, including a collapsed cathedral tower in Penonomé and damaged hotel facade, with no casualties immediately reported.
- The U.S. Tsunami Warning System issued alerts for nine countries warning of potential 3-meter waves, while the Panama Canal Authority confirmed operations on the critical trade waterway continue normally.
- Seismologists recorded more than 45 aftershocks as Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino called for calm on X, urging citizens to avoid alarm while rescue teams continue assessing the affected provinces.
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The President of Panama, José Raúl Molino, declared a case of "a major disaster" and called on the population to calm, saying that the authorities had not documented any dead or injured until Friday evening.
A strong 7.7 magnitude earthquake has struck Panama. There is damage, injuries and destroyed buildings, but no confirmed deaths.
Powerful earthquake rocks Panama
A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake shook Panama on Friday morning, collapsing buildings near its epicentre and prompting evacuations across the country. The quake, which was felt as far away as neighbouring Colombia, was centred about 10 kilometres southwest of the remote community of Pitaloza Arriba, in the central province of Herrera, the US Geological Survey said. It struck at a depth of 10 kilometres. The USGS initially reported the quake a…
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