Panama declares state of emergency after 7.7-magnitude earthquake and strong aftershocks

Panama’s government declared a state of emergency on Saturday after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake and a series of strong aftershocks damaged buildings across the country. The main shock struck at 12:56 p.m. local time on Friday with its epicentre about 10 kilometres southwest of Pitaloza Arriba in Herrera Province, at a depth of 12.6 kilometres, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. A magnitude 6.6 aftershock followed later the same day. More than 80 to 100 aftershocks have been recorded, several above magnitude 5.

At least 27 people were injured, most of them minor. No deaths have been confirmed. Damage was reported in all 10 provinces and two Indigenous territories. Civil protection tallies list roughly 420 homes and a similar number of public schools damaged, along with at least 13 churches, seven hotels and nine bridges. In Tonosí a hotel and several homes collapsed. The bell tower of San Juan Bautista Cathedral in Penonomé partly fell. Power was interrupted in six provinces. Tocumen International Airport briefly suspended flights before resuming.

The Panama Canal Authority said shipping through the canal continued without interruption. The Cobre Panama copper mine also reported normal operations. President José Raúl Mulino travelled to the affected area to coordinate the response. Health Minister Fernando Boyd said the provinces of Herrera, Coclé and Los Santos were the hardest hit. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States was monitoring the situation and mobilising assistance at Panama’s request.

The quake was felt as far as neighbouring Colombia. A tsunami warning for parts of the eastern Pacific was issued and later cancelled. USGS exposure estimates placed about 43,000 people in areas of severe shaking. Early economic-loss projections ranged from 1 percent to 10 percent of Panama’s GDP. The event is the strongest recorded in that part of the country since at least 1951.

Residents in Herrera described cracked houses and fear of further collapse. Elderly people were seen in the streets after successive tremors. Structural inspections of damaged buildings are continuing once aftershock activity declines. The National Emergency Operations Center is compiling a fuller inventory of affected schools, health facilities and government buildings.

Major earthquakes are relatively rare in Panama. The shallow depth and proximity to populated coastal districts produced the observed damage even though the epicentre itself was in a sparsely settled area. Recovery will focus first on temporary housing for displaced families, restoration of power and water, and assessment of schools before classes resume. The canal’s uninterrupted operation limits the wider economic impact on regional trade.