{
  "id": 13250410,
  "title": "Major quake rocks Panama, triggers tsunami warning",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/major-quake-rocks-panama-triggers-tsunami-warning",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-09T22:17:13.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2026/10/10/major-quake-rocks-panama-triggers-tsunami-warning"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Panama on Friday, causing widespread panic and damage across the country. The tremor, which lasted for about a minute, was felt throughout the Central American nation of approximately 4.5 million people. Despite its intensity, no immediate reports of casualties were issued by the National Civil Protection System. The epicenter of the earthquake, located 10km from the town of Pitaloza Arriba in the south-central region of Panama, was shallow, resulting in the collapse of buildings in the country's center.\n\nPanama City, situated around 200km from the epicenter, experienced scenes of chaos as residents evacuated skyscrapers. Videos shared on social media showed the building's pool water falling and a bridge over the Panama Canal shaking but remaining stable. Panamanian citizens expressed their shock, with some reporting that their daughters were trapped in schools, and others stating that they were in a state of shock and had been unable to contact their families.\n\nThe US Geological Survey confirmed the earthquake, stating that it struck at 5.56 pm GMT. Tsunami warnings were issued for Panama and other nearby countries in Latin America and the south Pacific, although the Panama Canal Authority confirmed that shipping operations through the canal, which connects the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, were unaffected. International airport in Panama City, a major hub for the region, was briefly closed, and several flights were rerouted to other airports as a precaution.\n\nSeveral aftershocks, including one above magnitude 6.0, were recorded by the local geosciences institute. Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino called for calm, urging citizens not to generate alarm or disorder in response to the disaster. The education ministry subsequently suspended classes in schools nationwide. This earthquake is the fourth with a magnitude exceeding 7.0 in Latin America this year, following devastating earthquakes in Venezuela's Guaira in June and a powerful quake in western Colombia in August.",
  "summary": "The magnitude 7.7 earthquake damaged infrastructure and disrupted flights, with more than a dozen major aftershocks recorded.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "DW English (Top Stories)",
        "title": "Strong earthquake shakes Panama, prompting tsunami alert",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/strong-earthquake-shakes-panama-prompting-tsunami-alert",
        "published": "2026-10-09T19:03:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Scientific American",
        "title": "Major earthquake strikes Panama—damage and injuries are expected",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/major-earthquake-strikes-panama-damage-and-injuries-are-expected",
        "published": "2026-10-09T20:45:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Major quake rocks Panama, triggers tsunami warning",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/major-quake-rocks-panama-triggers-tsunami-warning-13253933",
        "published": "2026-10-09T22:17:13.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "MercoPress",
        "title": "A magnitude 7.7 earthquake shakes Panama",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/a-magnitude-7-7-earthquake-shakes-panama",
        "published": "2026-10-09T22:38:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}