Magnitude 7.7 earthquake strikes Panama; 27 injured, canal operations normal

A magnitude 7.7 earthquake hit Panama on Friday, October 9, at 12:56 p.m. local time, centered on the Azuero Peninsula in south-central Panama about 40 kilometers from Tonosi in Los Santos province. The U.S. Geological Survey initially reported the quake at magnitude 8 before revising it to 7.7. The epicenter lay in a sparsely populated rural area at a depth of 12.6 kilometers. As of Friday evening, Panama's National Civil Protection System reported 27 people injured, with no deaths documented by President José Raúl Mulino, though he cautioned that casualties could rise in coming days.

The earthquake caused widespread damage across multiple provinces. Verified reports showed partially collapsed buildings in Penonomé and Soná, including damage to a cathedral tower and spire in Penonomé. The Church of San Atanasio, a colonial-style Catholic church and National Historic Heritage Site since 1938, collapsed in Los Santos province. Cocle, Los Santos, and Herrera provinces were among the hardest hit. Roads were damaged, and the U.S. Geological Survey estimated economic losses could reach 1 to 10 percent of Panama's GDP. Power outages affected six provinces. Tocumen International Airport temporarily suspended operations but reopened Friday afternoon. More than 45 aftershocks were recorded by the University of Panama's seismology department.

The Panama Canal Authority confirmed that canal operations remained normal and activated emergency procedures to inspect facilities. The Panama City Metro temporarily suspended service on two lines for safety reasons, and schools nationwide were closed. Initial tsunami warnings were issued for 11 countries including Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, Mexico, and Hawaii, but the U.S. Tsunami Warning System later confirmed no tsunami threat. Many residents in Panama City, about 200 kilometers from the epicenter, were evacuated from buildings and gathered in parks and streets.

China's Foreign Ministry reported no casualties among Chinese citizens in the earthquake and said the Chinese embassy in Panama would continue monitoring the situation and provide necessary assistance to Chinese nationals. The quake struck just three days before Panama was scheduled to hold a national evacuation drill to test emergency response capabilities for major earthquakes. Seismologists attribute Panama's relatively low death toll to strict building codes, particularly for high-rise construction in the capital. The country lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire and experiences frequent earthquakes due to interactions between the Cocos, Nazca, and Caribbean tectonic plates.