Magnitude 7.7 earthquake strikes Panama, triggering tsunami warnings and damage

A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit Panama's southern coast on Friday, causing structural damage and prompting tsunami alerts for several neighboring countries.

The initial earthquake struck on Friday morning near the remote community of Pitaloza Arriba at a shallow depth of approximately 6 to 7 miles, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. About two and a half hours later, a second major quake measuring magnitude 6.6 hit the Pacific coast near Río Grande. While France 24 initially reported a magnitude of 7.6 or 8.0, the USGS and other major outlets settled on a preliminary magnitude of 7.7.

Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino stated on Friday evening that no deaths had been confirmed, though he cautioned that the situation could change. Omar Smith of the National Civil Protection Service reported that several injuries occurred and damage was concentrated in the central provinces of Veraguas, Herrera, and Los Santos. In the city of Penonomé, one person was injured by falling debris, and the facade of a hotel fell onto a car.

Local reports and video footage confirmed the collapse of the colonial-style Church of San Atanasio in Los Santos, a National Historic Heritage Site. Significant structural damage was also noted at the governor's palace in Coclé and the cathedral in the district's main square. In Panama City, skyscrapers shook and residents evacuated into the streets, while Tocumen International Airport briefly suspended operations.

The U.S. Tsunami Warning System issued alerts for Panama, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, Mexico, and Hawaii. Warnings indicated that waves up to three meters high were possible along the Panama coastline, though the threat was declared over by Friday afternoon. The Panama Canal Authority stated that the waterway continued to operate normally despite the tremors.

Background

The region has been hit by other major seismic events recently, including a June earthquake in Venezuela that killed over 6,500 people and an August quake in Colombia that killed at least 289. France 24 reported that earthquakes are rare in Panama and typically occur in the western Chiriqui province.