Magnitude 7.7 Earthquake and 6.6 Aftershock Rock Panama, Collapsing Buildings and Prompting Evacuations
A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck central Panama on Friday, followed hours later by a 6.6 aftershock, collapsing buildings, damaging roads and a historic church, and forcing evacuations as officials assessed injuries and infrastructure.
PANAMA CITY — A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck central Panama on Friday, followed about two and a half hours later by a magnitude 6.6 aftershock, collapsing buildings near the epicenter, cracking roads and prompting evacuations across the country, according to the U.S. Geological Survey and reporting by the Associated Press.
The main quake was centered near Pitaloza Arriba in Herrera province at a shallow depth, and shaking was felt in Panama City and as far away as neighboring Colombia. The USGS said its early magnitude estimates were revised before settling at 7.7. Dozens of additional aftershocks followed, including several above magnitude 5.
Damage concentrated in central provinces
Officials said damage was concentrated in Veraguas, Herrera and Los Santos provinces, while the capital reported no major structural damage. In Penonomé, a partially collapsed structure injured at least one person, and crews reported cracks at the cathedral, the governor’s office building and a hotel. A colonial-era church in Los Santos province also collapsed, and a hotel and homes were reported down in Tonosí. Power outages affected six provinces.
Panama’s president urged calm as emergency teams inspected buildings and infrastructure. Tocumen International Airport temporarily suspended operations to check safety conditions, while the Panama Canal Authority said canal operations continued normally with technical teams conducting inspections.
Tsunami warning issued, then passed
The National Weather Service issued a tsunami warning for Pacific coasts including Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Guatemala, with alerts reaching as far as Chile’s Easter Island. That threat later passed, according to weather.com. Officials reported injuries but no confirmed deaths in the initial assessments, and the U.S. Embassy said it was monitoring the situation and accounting for American citizens.
Reporting based on coverage by the Associated Press via The Hindu BusinessLine and weather.com.
