The 2026 Panama earthquake was a magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck southern Panama on October 9, 2026. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) located its epicenter 12 kilometers west-southwest of Pitaloza Arriba, at a depth of 12.6 kilometers. The earthquake caused building collapses and widespread evacuations; a second earthquake, reported at magnitude 6.6, followed the same day. (earthquake.usgs.gov)
Main earthquake
The USGS recorded the main earthquake at 17:56:06 UTC on October 9. Its reviewed location was , and its preferred magnitude was 7.7 on the moment-magnitude scale. (earthquake.usgs.gov)
Early estimates changed as additional observations became available: the initial magnitude of 8.0 was subsequently revised to 7.6 and then 7.7. Shaking was felt in Panama City and neighboring Colombia. (apnews.com)
Aftershock sequence
The earthquake was followed by numerous aftershocks. USGS listings recorded magnitude 5.5 and 5.8 events on October 9, followed by a magnitude 6.0 event north of La Tronosa early on October 10 UTC. (earthquake.usgs.gov)
On October 12, another earthquake struck about 18 kilometers west of Río Grande at approximately 6:20 p.m. local time. It was initially reported at magnitude 6.1 and a depth of 10 kilometers. There were no immediate reports of additional casualties or property damage from that event. (apnews.com)
Damage and casualties
Damage affected homes, schools, hotels, churches and transport infrastructure. Early official assessments reported approximately 420 damaged homes, a similar number of damaged public schools, seven affected hotels, at least 13 churches and nine bridges. Damage was concentrated in Veraguas, Herrera, Coclé and Los Santos. (apnews.com)
Cultural heritage buildings were among those affected, including the cathedral in Penonomé and the Church of San Atanasio in Los Santos. Tocumen International Airport temporarily suspended operations, while the Panama Canal continued operating during technical inspections. (apnews.com)
As of October 10, authorities reported 27 injuries, described as minor to moderate, and had attributed no deaths to the earthquakes. These figures were preliminary assessments rather than a final casualty accounting. (apnews.com)
Emergency response
The government declared a state of emergency on October 10, 2026. Officials reported damage across all ten provinces and two Indigenous territories as continuing aftershocks complicated the immediate response. (apnews.com)
References
- M 7.7 - 12 km WSW of Pitaloza Arriba, Panamaearthquake.usgs.gov
- Latest Earthquakesearthquake.usgs.gov