Powerful 7.7 Magnitude Earthquake Rocks Panama, Triggers Tsunami Alert And Mass Coastal Evacuations

A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake has struck Panama, triggering a tsunami alert for nine countries and forcing mass evacuations along the Pacific coastline.

The earthquake struck at 1:56 p.m. local time on Friday, with its epicenter located approximately 10 kilometers southwest of Pitaloza Arriba, a small village in Herrera province with just over 100 residents . The quake occurred at a shallow depth of about 10 kilometers, meaning its impact was likely to be more severe.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center initially warned that hazardous waves were possible along parts of nine countries: Panama, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Mexico.

The center warned that a tsunami is a series of waves and that the hazard may persist for many hours after the initial wave.

The U.S. Geological Survey initially reported the earthquake as magnitude 8.0 before revising it to 7.7. The quake was felt across the country of around 4.5 million people and was also felt in the capital of neighboring Costa Rica.

Strong shaking forced people to evacuate buildings in Panama City, about 200 kilometers from the epicenter . Footage from the San Miguelito Metro station captured panic and evacuations moments after the area shook.

Workers and visitors at a maternity ward at the Santo Tomas Hospital in Panama City fled the building, with the evacuation forcing even week-old babies outside.

Rosendo Domínguez, 60, from Herrera province, told The Associated Press: “We felt it very strongly. It knocked things over in the kitchen, but we’re okay, though we’re very scared”.

Sabina Rios, who was on the sixth floor of a building in Panama City, told Reuters: “The quake felt strong and lasted a long time, the longest I’ve felt in years”.

Another witness, Juana Alveo, a 38-year-old cashier in Penonome, told AFP: “It was horrible, like nothing we ever experienced. My daughter was trapped in school. Thank God we are okay”.

Reports of collapsed buildings, split roads, and caved-in roofs have emerged, with damage concentrated in central Panama . A hotel in Penonome collapsed, and the San Juan Bautista Cathedral sustained damage.

Omar Smith of the National Civil Protection Service said several people were reported injured, including one person struck by debris from a partially collapsed structure in Penonome. No deaths were immediately reported.

The Cocle provincial government said the governor’s palace suffered substantial structural damage, but employees were safely evacuated.

Panama’s President Jose Raul Mulino called for calm on X, saying: “What happened should not be used to generate alarms and disorder”.

The Panama Canal Authority reported that the country’s waterway, which connects the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, was operating normally and unaffected by the quake.

Tocumen International Airport, a major hub for the region, was temporarily closed, and several flights were diverted as a precaution.

The education ministry announced the suspension of classes in schools nationwide. The government also ordered the closure of government facilities.

Approximately 45 minutes after the main quake, a magnitude 5.5 earthquake hit in Bajo Corral, located 28 miles east of Pitaloza Arriba. A third quake measuring magnitude 5.8 was recorded near El Cacao.

At least seven more aftershocks struck since the initial quake, including one above magnitude 6.0.

The tsunami warning was lifted approximately three hours after it was issued, with the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center confirming that “the tsunami threat has passed”.

Authorities in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Peru, and Mexico also deactivated their preventive alerts.

The Panama Canal Authority said emergency protocols were activated and installations were being inspected to identify possible damage. The US embassy in Panama said it was “assessing potential damage” from the incident.

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella expressed solidarity with Panama on X, saying: “Panama is not alone! You can count on Colombia’s support and on our readiness to provide whatever assistance is needed”.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also expressed solidarity and announced that Washington would mobilize relief workers and additional support at the government’s request.

The Panama earthquake is at least the fourth quake this year in Latin America surpassing magnitude 7.0, following devastating earthquakes in Venezuela’s Guaira in June and a powerful earthquake in western Colombia in August.