Panama earthquake today: President declares ‘major disaster’ as buildings collapse and aftershocks rattle country

The earthquake struck at 1756 GMT, about 10 kilometres from Pitaloza Arriba in Herrera province. Its shallow shaking was felt across Panama, including Panama City, roughly 200 kilometres away. The tremor lasted about a minute and caused panic, evacuations and damage to buildings and roads.

Herrera, Cocle and Los Santos were identified as the worst-affected provinces. President Jose Raul Mulino declared a major disaster, while officials reported that some roads had completely collapsed. Tonosi in Los Santos was cut off, making access impossible by land. A house in Sona also collapsed, and buildings in Penonome, including a church and hotel, were badly damaged.

The earthquake disrupted transport but did not stop the Panama Canal. Panama City's international airport closed temporarily, and several flights were diverted. The canal authority said shipping continued normally. Classes were suspended nationwide as authorities assessed damage, managed aftershocks and searched for ways to reach isolated communities.

Earthquake magnitude describes the size of the event at its source. It is calculated from seismic waves and reflects the energy released by the earthquake. Magnitude scales are logarithmic, so a small numerical difference can represent a substantial change in energy. Magnitude is different from intensity, which describes how strongly people experience shaking at particular places.

The US Geological Survey initially estimated the earthquake at magnitude 8.0. It later revised the figure to 7.7 after analysing the available seismic recordings more closely. Early estimates are produced quickly, often with incomplete data. Additional readings can improve the calculated location, depth and wave size, leading scientists to update the magnitude.

The revision did not mean the earthquake became weaker after it happened. It changed the scientific estimate of its size. Even at 7.7, the earthquake was powerful enough to shake Panama widely, damage infrastructure, trigger evacuations and produce more than 80 recorded aftershocks.

The earthquake’s reach was national rather than local. The shallow tremor was felt across Panama, including Panama City, which lies about 200 kilometres from the epicentre. It lasted approximately one minute and forced people from high-rise buildings. Panama has around 4.5 million people, so the broad reach exposed communities across the country to shaking and disruption.

The local geosciences institute recorded more than 80 aftershocks. One had a magnitude above 6.0, making it strong enough to cause renewed concern and further evacuations. Aftershocks occur as the crust adjusts after the main rupture, and they can continue stressing already damaged structures.

The number of aftershocks remained a key concern for officials. Residents in Panama City left buildings again as a precaution. Authorities continued assessing roads, buildings and isolated communities while coordinating the response. The full consequences depended on both the original damage and whether later tremors caused additional failures.

A shallow earthquake begins close to the ground surface. Its seismic energy travels a shorter distance before reaching buildings, roads and bridges. That usually means stronger shaking near the epicentre than a deeper earthquake of similar size. The damage also depends on construction quality, ground conditions and how close structures are to the rupture.

In Panama, residents described strong and prolonged shaking. Heavy furniture and kitchen items moved, and people evacuated high-rise buildings. Some roads completely collapsed, while Tonosi became inaccessible by land. Videos showed a bridge over the Panama Canal shaking violently as vehicles crossed it, but the bridge remained upright. A house in Sona also collapsed.

The effects were therefore severe but uneven. Damage to roads and buildings disrupted rescue and assessment efforts, while the canal itself continued operating normally. Officials focused on Herrera, Cocle and Los Santos, where the combination of shallow shaking and damaged access routes made reaching communities especially difficult.

Aftershocks are earthquakes that occur after a larger main shock in the same general area. They happen as stresses in the Earth’s crust adjust around the original rupture. They are usually smaller than the main earthquake, but some can still be powerful and damaging, especially where buildings and roads have already been weakened.

Panama’s local geosciences institute recorded more than 80 aftershocks, including one above magnitude 6.0. The repeated tremors prompted people to leave buildings again, including high-rise buildings in Panama City. One resident, Salomon Andion, said he evacuated his 15-story building for the second time after aftershocks.

Evacuating reduces the immediate risk of people remaining inside unstable structures. It also complicates emergency work, because residents and responders must keep monitoring buildings and roads. Authorities urged people to remain calm while continuing to assess damage and reach communities isolated by the earthquake.

A tsunami warning is issued when an earthquake might displace the seafloor and send waves across the ocean. The warning after Panama’s earthquake covered the eastern Pacific. Its purpose was to give coastal authorities and residents time to prepare while scientists checked the earthquake’s location, depth and effects on the sea.

The earthquake was powerful, measuring 7.7, and it occurred in a region connected to the Pacific. Those facts justified caution, even though the main damage described in the report involved roads, buildings and transport. A warning does not prove that a tsunami has formed. It signals a possible threat while monitoring continues.

The warning was subsequently lifted. The article does not give the technical assessment behind that decision, but lifting it indicates that authorities no longer considered an ongoing tsunami danger sufficient to maintain the alert. Officials continued focusing on earthquake damage, aftershocks and access to isolated communities.

Tectonic plates are huge sections of Earth’s outer shell that move slowly. Where they meet, friction can lock them together while stress builds. When the rocks suddenly slip along a fault, stored energy travels outward as seismic waves, producing an earthquake. Larger slips release more energy and create stronger shaking.

The article does not identify the precise plate boundary or fault responsible for this earthquake. It does state that earthquakes are rare in Panama and typically occur in western Chiriqui, which borders Costa Rica. The 7.7-magnitude event therefore struck an area not usually associated with Panama’s most common earthquakes, while causing damage in Herrera, Cocle and Los Santos.

That unusual location increased the importance of damage assessment and emergency access. Authorities had to evaluate collapsed roads, damaged buildings and isolated communities. They also monitored more than 80 aftershocks. The article gives no forecast about future earthquakes, but continued assessment remained necessary after such a rare and powerful event.