7.7 magnitude earthquake damages hundreds of buildings in Panama, injures 27, no deaths reported

A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck southern Panama on Friday, October 9, 2026, at 12:56 p.m. local time. The U.S. Geological Survey placed the epicenter about 10 kilometers west-southwest of Pitaloza Arriba in Herrera province at a depth of 12.6 kilometers. It was the strongest quake in that part of the country since at least 1951. A magnitude 6.6 aftershock followed hours later. More than 80 aftershocks have been recorded.

No deaths have been reported. Panama’s civil protection agency, Sinaproc, listed 27 people with minor injuries. Seventeen of those injuries occurred in Coclé province, six in Los Santos, and the rest in other provinces. About 300 people were evacuated from coastal areas after a temporary tsunami warning. The warning was later lifted.

Damage assessments list more than 400 structures affected. These include 142 homes, 188 schools, 20 health facilities, 26 government buildings, 13 churches, seven hotels, and nine bridges. In Penonomé, Coclé, one tower of the San Juan Bautista Cathedral collapsed and a side of the provincial government building fell. In Los Santos the colonial Church of San Atanasio, a national heritage site since 1938, collapsed. Several communities near the epicenter were cut off by damaged roads and landslides.

President José Raúl Mulino called the event a major disaster and traveled to Penonomé. The Panama Canal reported normal operations after inspections. Tocumen International Airport briefly suspended flights before resuming. Electricity provider Naturgy reported outages in six provinces. The USGS estimated possible economic losses between 1 percent and 10 percent of GDP. An early figure put losses above one billion dollars.

The quake was felt across the isthmus and as far as Colombia. Residents in Panama City rushed into the streets. Videos showed water cascading from a rooftop pool on a high-rise and a bridge over the canal shaking. In Veraguas province former president Ricardo Martinelli posted images of his collapsed house. Five communities in Los Santos remained isolated on Saturday.

Emergency teams continue to check buildings and clear roads. The relatively low casualty count compared with recent quakes in Venezuela and Colombia is attributed to the remote epicenter and the time of day. Recovery will focus on restoring access to isolated towns and repairing schools and health facilities before the rainy season intensifies.