Panama hit by 7.7 magnitude quake, tsunami alert issued
The quake, one of the strongest ever recorded in Panama, caused building damage, aftershocks and a regional tsunami alert.
By Felo News Desk · Published
A 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck off Panama's southern coast on Friday, with the US Geological Survey reporting a shallow depth and a tsunami warning issued for nine countries.
What happened
The quake occurred at a shallow depth—12.6 km according to the USGS in one report and 10 km in another—near the rural community of La Pitaloza (also described as Pitaloza Arriba) in Herrera province. The epicentre was located roughly 10 km south‑west of that community. Aftershocks followed, rattling the nation. Residents in Herrera, including the town of Chitré, reported cracked homes and overturned kitchen items. The tremor was felt as far as Panama City, San José in Costa Rica and parts of Colombia.
What the reports add
Independent.co.uk’s first article notes that the USGS gave a depth of 12.6 km and that the quake’s epicentre was close to La Pitaloza in a sparsely populated coastal area. It also mentions that the Panama Canal was not affected. The second article cites a depth of 10 km and places the epicentre 10 km south‑west of Pitaloza Arriba, adding that the US Tsunami Warning System alerted nine countries, including Panama, Colombia, Costa Rica and Ecuador.
What was said
Ricardo Brown, 74, from Las Minas in Herrera, told Independent.co.uk by phone that his house had cracked and he feared it could collapse. "We’re scared. It’s just the two of us old folks here," he said.
Omar Smith, head of Panama’s civil protection agency, told local outlet Telemetro Reporta that impacts were reported in Chitré and along the coast of Los Santos province.
Rosendo Domínguez, 60, also from Herrera, told the Associated Press via Independent.co.uk that he felt the shaking strongly, "It knocked things over in the kitchen, but we’re okay, though we’re very scared."
How it came about
Panama rarely experiences earthquakes of this magnitude; the Independent noted that such strength is uncommon in the country. Earlier this month, Felo News covered regional seismic activity in California’s Cajon Pass, highlighting heightened stress on fault lines, though unrelated to the Panama event. The recent issuance of a tsunami warning follows standard protocol when a shallow, high‑magnitude quake occurs near the coast.
Key facts
- A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off Panama's southern coast on 2026-10-09. (independent.co.uk)
- The USGS reported the quake's depth as 12.6 km in one account and 10 km in another. (independent.co.uk)
- The epicentre was near the rural community of La Pitaloza in Herrera province. (independent.co.uk)
- A tsunami warning was issued for nine countries, including Panama and Colombia. (independent.co.uk)
- No damage was reported to the Panama Canal. (independent.co.uk)
Where accounts differ
- Reported depth of the earthquake: 12.6 km (independent.co.uk); 10 km (independent.co.uk)
- Exact description of the epicentre location: close to the rural community of La Pitaloza (independent.co.uk); roughly 10 km south‑west of Pitaloza Arriba (independent.co.uk)
