7.7-magnitude earthquake hits Panama

A 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Panama on Friday, according to the US Geological Survey. The tremor had a depth of 12.6km and originated in Herrera Province, located roughly 200km southwest of the Panama Canal. Initially, the USGS registered the quake at 8.0 magnitude, but later revised it. Panama's geological institute reported the earthquake as 7.2 magnitude.

While some buildings sustained damage, the critical Panama Canal trade waterway remained unaffected. Across various regions, people evacuated buildings, businesses, schools, and homes following the quake. Elderly residents were particularly affected, with some reduced to tears in the streets as aftershocks rattled the country. Ricardo Brown, speaking from Las Minas in Herrera province, expressed fear that the quake had damaged multiple homes.

Shaking was felt even as far as San Jose, the capital of neighboring Costa Rica. Panama's civil protection agency reported impacts in Chitre, the capital of Herrera, and along the coast in Los Santos province. Videos showed a historic building's tower collapsing, along with several balconies of a residential building in Penonome.

Panama's capital briefly suspended service on two lines of the Panama City Metro for safety reasons. Nationwide, the ministry of education ordered schools to close. Panama was scheduled to hold a national earthquake evacuation drill the following week to test emergency response capabilities. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warned of potential tsunami waves off the coast of Panama and the western coasts of several neighboring countries.

This quake marked the latest to hit Latin America in recent months, following devastating earthquakes in Venezuela and Colombia in late June and August, respectively.