Magnitude 7.7 earthquake rocks Panama, collapsing part of a cathedral; state of emergency declared

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Headline graphic: M7.7 quake rocks Panama, over a file photo of the Penonomé cathedral before the earthquake

Cover photo: File photo (Penonomé cathedral before the quake, 2008) by Editorpana, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; cropped, darkened and text added by The Southbound 105.

By The Southbound 105 | Oct. 10, 2026

PANAMA — A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck central Panama on Friday, Oct. 9, toppling buildings near the epicenter, sending people running into the streets of Panama City and prompting tsunami warnings across the region. On Saturday, the government declared a state of emergency.

No deaths had been reported as of Saturday. Panama's National Civil Protection System said 27 people were injured, with injuries ranging from minor to moderate.

A shallow, powerful quake

The U.S. Geological Survey placed the epicenter about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the small town of Pitaloza Arriba in Herrera province, at a depth of only about 12 kilometers. Shallow earthquakes tend to cause stronger shaking at the surface. The USGS first estimated the quake at magnitude 8.0 before revising it to 7.7.

About 4.6 million people felt moderate to severe shaking, according to the USGS. A magnitude 6.6 quake followed, and seismologists recorded more than 100 aftershocks, including ones of magnitude 5.8, 5.5 and 5.2, the Associated Press reported.

The damage

Officials reported damage in all 10 of Panama's provinces and two Indigenous territories, the AP said. Civil Protection counted roughly 420 damaged homes and about the same number of public schools, along with seven hotels, at least 13 churches and nine bridges. The provinces of Herrera, Coclé and Los Santos were hit hardest, and some communities were cut off by landslides and road damage.

In Penonomé, about 150 kilometers from the capital, part of the cathedral on the main square collapsed, including one of its spires, and the governor's office and the Dos Continentes hotel were damaged. Local outlets reported that the colonial-era Church of San Atanasio in Los Santos province, a national heritage site since 1938, collapsed. On Isla Caña, off the Pacific coast, about 300 people were evacuated because of rising water and rough surf.

"We're scared. It's just the two of us old folks here. The house has cracked and we're afraid it could fall on us," Ricardo Brown, 74, of Las Minas in Herrera province, told Reuters, according to the BBC.

In Panama City, about 200 kilometers from the epicenter, people evacuated buildings, including a maternity ward, and waited in the streets and parks until the shaking stopped. Damage there appeared limited to debris falling from roofs. The power company Naturgy reported outages in six provinces.

Canal unaffected, tsunami warnings lifted

Tsunami warnings were initially issued for 11 countries near Panama before the U.S. Tsunami Warning System confirmed there was no threat. The Panama Canal Authority said the canal, one of the world's most important shipping routes, was not affected.

President José Raúl Mulino said his entire government was mobilizing. "What happened should not be used to cause alarm or disorder," he said. The USGS estimated economic losses could reach 1% to 10% of Panama's gross domestic product.

The quake came three days before Panama was scheduled to hold a national earthquake evacuation drill. It follows deadly earthquakes in Colombia and Venezuela earlier this year.

A reminder for Southern California

Southern California has its own shallow faults capable of strong shaking. Now is a good time to check your emergency kit, secure heavy furniture and download the MyShake app for early warnings. Readers with family in Panama can check on loved ones through the Red Cross and the U.S. Embassy in Panama City.

Sources

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