Powerful Shallow Quake Rattles Southern Panama

Overview

• Seismologists revised the initial reading down to magnitude 7.7 for the quake that struck on Friday, October 9, 2026, with the USGS locating the shallow epicenter near Pitaloza Arriba at about 10–12 kilometers depth.
• U.S. tsunami centers issued broad Pacific warnings from Mexico to Peru and Hawaii that were monitored and largely canceled within hours with no confirmed large tsunami impacts.
• National emergency authorities reported 27 injured and concentrated damage in the central‑southern provinces of Herrera, Veraguas, Los Santos and Coclé, with videos showing partial collapse of a hotel and damage to a cathedral in Penonomé.
• Critical services were disrupted as Tocumen International Airport briefly closed, Panama City metro lines halted and flights were diverted, while the Panama Canal continued operating and multiple strong aftershocks, including a M6.6, were recorded.
• Emergency teams continue structural inspections and relief coordination as international aid and emergency financing are offered and officials warn that shallow depth and continuing aftershocks raise risk for further local damage and access problems.