Magnitude 7.7 earthquake damages towns in central Panama
A shallow magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck south-central Panama Friday afternoon, damaging a cathedral, homes and roads in Penonomé and nearby towns and injuring at least 27 people, all with minor injuries. No deaths had been reported as of early Saturday, tsunami alerts were lifted, and the Panama Canal was not affected.
AI-assisted · US Brief desk · Sources listed below
What happened
The quake struck at 12:56 p.m. local time Friday about 12 km west-southwest of Pitaloza Arriba in south-central Panama, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, which first estimated it at magnitude 8.0 before revising it to 7.7. It was only about 12 km deep; shallow quakes tend to cause stronger shaking at the surface. USGS later recorded a magnitude 6.6 aftershock near Río Grande, and Panama's geosciences institute counted dozens more aftershocks, AFP reported.
More context
Damage and injuries: Panama's National Civil Protection System said 27 people suffered minor injuries nationwide, and emergency chief René García told AFP there were no reports of deaths. Verified footage showed one side and a spire of the cathedral in Penonomé collapsed, the BBC reported, and videos showed collapsed buildings in Penonomé and Soná, including a hotel. President José Raúl Mulino said some roads had "completely collapsed," and Health Minister Fernando Boyd said the hardest-hit provinces were Herrera, Coclé and Los Santos, where the town of Tonosí was cut off by land. The USGS said about 4.6 million people felt moderate to severe shaking.
In the capital: Many people left buildings in Panama City, about 200 km from the epicenter, including a maternity ward. Damage there appeared limited to debris falling from roofs, the BBC said. Panama City's international airport, a regional hub, closed temporarily and some flights were diverted, AFP reported.
Response: Mulino called it "a major disaster," traveled to Penonomé to coordinate the response and urged calm: "What happened should not be used to cause alarm or disorder." U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. was mobilizing help at Panama's request, AFP reported. Tsunami warnings first issued for 11 nearby countries were withdrawn after the U.S. Tsunami Warning System said there was no threat. The Panama Canal Authority said the canal was unaffected and operating normally.
What's still unknown: The final injury count and the number of damaged homes, which could rise as rescuers reach cut-off rural areas. The quake came three days before Panama's scheduled national earthquake drill.
6 listed sources
- USGS, Oct 9, 2026: M 7.7 - 12 km WSW of Pitaloza Arriba, Panama
- USGS, Oct 9, 2026: M 6.6 - 14 km W of Río Grande, Panama
- BBC News, Oct 9-10, 2026: Powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake hits Panama, damaging buildings
- AFP, Oct 10, 2026: Major earthquake hits Panama, injures at least 27
- CBS News, Oct 9, 2026: Panama struck by 2 powerful earthquakes, U.S. Geological Survey says
- Sourcing note: Primary seismic data (USGS) plus BBC, AFP and CBS; no political lean.
References listed by US Brief; a source count is not a verification score.
Editorial sourcing notes
Injury and damage reports were still early as of Saturday morning and may change. The hero photo is a 2011 file photo of the Penonomé cathedral before the quake.
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