7.7 Magnitude earthquakes today Injure 27 in Central Panama
A 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Panama on Friday as part of earthquakes today, injuring at least 27 people, collapsing some buildings and roads, and causing widespread panic with no reported deaths. The shallow quake struck at 12:56 pm local time with an epicenter 10 km from Pitaloza Arriba in Herrera province at a depth of about 12.6 km according to USGS. [4] At least 27 people sustained minor injuries mainly in Herrera, Cocle, and Los Santos provinces; some towns including Tonosi were cut off and the airport in Panama City was temporarily closed. [5]
Major 7.7 Quake Strikes Panama
The shallow tremor was felt across the Central American nation of around 4.5 million people, according to the National Civil Protection System. [4] The US Geological Survey said the quake struck at 12:56 pm local time with an epicentre 10 kilometres from the small town of Pitaloza Arriba in central Herrera province at a depth of 12.6 km. [5] The USGS initially estimated it to be a magnitude-8.0 quake before revising it down to 7.7. [4] There were 27 people with minor injuries across the country as a result of the quake, according to a statement from the National Civil Protection System. [4] The head of emergency operations Rene Garcia told AFP that there were no reports of fatalities so far. [4] Health Minister Fernando Boyd said the most affected areas were the provinces of Herrera and Cocle as well as Los Santos. [4] He said the town of Tonosi in Los Santos was completely cut off. [4] “We are trying to figure out how to get there by air, because it’s impossible by land,” Boyd said. [4] Panama City’s international airport, a major hub for the region, was temporarily closed. [4] Several flights were diverted to other airports as a precaution, according to the Civil Aeronautics Authority. [4]
Widespread Panic and Evacuations
Panama President declares major 7.7 magnitude earthquake a great catastrophe with 27 injured. — Source: vg In Panama City, about 200 kilometres from the epicentre, there were scenes of panic as people rushed to evacuate from the city’s emblematic skyscrapers. [4] “I was scared because the shaking was very strong and prolonged,” Salomon Andion, 46, told AFP after evacuating his 15-story building for the second time following aftershocks. [4] “Heavy objects like dressers, the bed, and all the kitchen items were shaking.” [4] A video widely shared on social media showed water falling from the rooftop pool of a building more than 20 stories tall. [4] Another showed a bridge over the Panama Canal shaking violently but remaining upright as vehicles travelled across it. [4] “It was horrible, like nothing we ever experienced. My daughter was trapped in school,” Juana Alveo, a 38-year-old cashier at a store in the city of Penonome in central Cocle province, told AFP. [4] Office workers in the upscale business hub of downtown Panama City fretted about how to get home in the snarl of traffic, after the quake sent thousands into the streets. [5] Juan Sanchez, a 37-year-old economy ministry employee, waited for a bus he said he doubted would arrive. [5] "They evacuated all of these buildings. Everyone is outside. Now the problem is, how do we get home?" [5] Sabina Rios, who was on the sixth floor of an old US military-era building in Panama City, said the shaking was unusually strong and prolonged. [5] "The quake felt strong and lasted a long time, the longest I've felt in years," Rios said. [5] Nestor Luque, director of Panama's geosciences institute, attributed the quake to the Azuero Sona Fault System that he said contained a massive buildup of pressure that was occasionally released. [5] "The seismic signals have travelled throughout the national territory and that is why it could be felt everywhere." [5] In Panama City, Luque said he counted 40 seconds of vibrations, though other areas may have felt even longer tremors. [5]
Aftershocks and Government Response
More than 80 aftershocks, one above magnitude 6.0, were recorded by the local geosciences institute. [4] In the following hours, even as more than 40 aftershocks rattled the isthmus nation, the Panama Canal and Cobre Panama copper mine reported normal operations and the Tocumen International Airport lifted a suspension on flights. [5] President Jose Raul Mulino described it as a major disaster with collapsed roads and buildings. [4] “We are facing a major disaster,” President Jose Raul Mulino said, adding that some roads had “completely collapsed.” [4] Mulino travelled to Penonome to coordinate the disaster response. [5] Mulino called for calm. [4] “What happened should not be used to generate alarm and disorder,” he wrote on X, adding that he had called for a report on the damage. [4] The education ministry announced the suspension of classes in schools nationwide. [4] Former president Ricardo Martinelli posted pictures on Instagram of his house in the town of Sona in Veraguas province that collapsed. [4] A church and a hotel in Penonome also suffered extensive damage, images shared on local media showed. [4] Benjamin Gonzalez, 52, said he was at a farm near the town of La Miel when the quake hit, and when he returned home he found “many houses devastated” and “everyone terrified” in the small town square, which was left without power. [4] His neighbour, David Castillo, told AFP that residents were choosing not to return home because they are “afraid it will happen again.” [4]
No Impact on Key Infrastructure
The Panama Canal Authority said shipping through the channel, which connects the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, was unaffected and operating “as normal.” [4] The Panama Canal and Cobre Panama copper mine reported normal operations. [5] The Tocumen International Airport lifted a suspension on flights. [5] An exposure report by the USGS estimated about 43,000 Panamanians lived in areas with at least severe exposure to the quake. [5] This compares to nearly 1.4 million in the area of the twin quakes in Venezuela and over 1.6 million in the quake-hit zone of western Colombia. [5]
Other earthquakes today Recorded Worldwide
Smaller earthquakes were recorded the same period in Alaska (M3.0), California (M2.5), and Uttarakhand India (M4.2) with no damage reported in those events. [1] [2] [3] A magnitude 3.0 earthquake struck 68 km SE of Perryville, Alaska at a depth of 19.6 km. [1] A magnitude 2.5 earthquake struck 10 km SE of Winchester, CA at a depth of 14.0 km. [2] An earthquake measuring 4.2 on Richter scale jolted Uttarakhand on Saturday at around 7:30 pm, National Center for Seismology said, with the epicenter in Uttarkashi at a depth of 11 kilometers. [3] While no damage has been reported so far, it said that the epicenter of the earthquake was in Uttarkashi at a depth of 11 kilometers. [3]
Regional Context of Recent Large Quakes
The Panamanian quake is at least the fourth quake this year in Latin America surpassing 7.0 in magnitude, after devastating back-to-back earthquakes in Venezuela’s Guaira in June and a powerful earthquake in western Colombia in August. [4] Back-to-back quakes in Venezuela in June killed several thousand people, while a quake in Colombia in August killed more than 300. [5] Earthquakes are rare in Panama and usually occur in western Chiriqui province, bordering Costa Rica. [4] Strong earthquakes are not common in Panama and this one struck in the nation's southern coast. [5]
What to watch next: The education ministry announced the suspension of classes in schools nationwide while the leaders of Colombia, Ecuador and Guatemala all sent messages of solidarity and offers of aid.
