Panama’s president has declared a major disaster after strong earthquakes and dozens of aftershocks struck Herrera province in the south on Friday, destroying buildings and disrupting power. Tsunami warnings were issued across Central and South America. Reports gave the main quake’s magnitude as 7.7 at first, and later 7.5.
Two strong earthquakes struck southern Panama on Friday, October 9, Al Jazeera reported, citing Reuters and the Associated Press.
The Earthquakes
Al Jazeera first reported a magnitude 7.7 quake. Its later report put the two quakes at magnitude 7.5 and 6.6, with dozens of aftershocks. The US Geological Survey said the earthquake was centred about 10 km (6 miles) south-west of the remote community of Pitaloza Arriba, on the Pacific coast.
Damage
- Panama’s president declared a major disaster
- Buildings were destroyed and power supplies were disrupted in Herrera province
- Videos shared by the newspaper La Prensa showed the tower of a historic building collapsed, along with several balconies of a residential building, in Penonomé, a city about halfway between the epicentre and Panama City
- The education ministry ordered schools closed
Residents of Panama City reported tremors, with buildings shaking and people running into the streets. Rosendo Domínguez, 60, from Herrera, told the AP: “It knocked things over in the kitchen, but we’re okay, though we’re very scared.”
President José Raúl Mulino called for calm and said “what happened should not be used to cause alarm or disorder”.
Tsunami Warnings
The US National Weather Service issued tsunami warnings for Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Guatemala, and Chile’s naval hydrographic service also issued a warning. The reports I read did not say whether waves were recorded.
A Region Under Strain
Al Jazeera noted several destructive earthquakes in the region this year. In June, twin quakes in northern Venezuela killed at least 6,500 people. In August, a magnitude 7.4 earthquake in Colombia killed at least 289.
What Is Not Known
The reports gave no casualty figures for Panama.
Image: Panama City’s skyline, March 2025 (file photo). Photo: Dr. Thomas Liptak / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
