Panama hit by 7.7-magnitude earthquake; no deaths reported, tsunami warning lifted

A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Panama on Friday (local time), damaging a cathedral and hotels and triggering more than 100 aftershocks. No deaths have been reported.

According to the Associated Press and the US Geological Survey, the quake struck at 12:56 p.m. near the remote village of Pitalosa Arriba in the central province of Herrera. It originated at a shallow depth of about 10 kilometers. The USGS initially put the magnitude at 8.0 before revising it down to 7.6 and then 7.7. The University of Panama's Institute of Geosciences measured it at 7.5.

Buildings swayed in the capital, Panama City, more than 160 kilometers from the epicenter, sending frightened residents into the streets. The tremors were felt as far away as neighboring Colombia. Rosendo Dominguez, 60, a resident of Herrera province, told the AP: "I felt it very strongly. I wasn't hurt, but I was terrified."

Several buildings were damaged in Penonome, a city in the central province of Cocle. Panama's National Civil Protection Authority confirmed that the cathedral in the city's main square had partially collapsed and that the governor's office and a hotel had also sustained damage. In Santiago, Veraguas province, a cathedral and city hall were damaged. Local media reported that the San Atanasio Church in Los Santos province — designated a national cultural heritage site in 1938 — had collapsed. National Civil Protection Authority Director Omar Smith said the damage was concentrated in three central provinces: Veraguas, Herrera and Los Santos.

Authorities said there were no fatalities or missing persons. However, 15 students suffered minor injuries at a school in Cocle province, and two more people were hurt in Veraguas province. Two people trapped under rubble were rescued. A total injury count had not yet been released. President Jose Raul Mulino said the extent of the damage could change in the coming days.

The University of Panama's Institute of Geosciences recorded 107 aftershocks by that evening. A strong 6.6-magnitude quake struck about two and a half hours after the initial tremor. The US Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami warning for Panama's coastline but later lifted it, saying the danger had passed. The institute nonetheless urged residents along the southern coast to evacuate, warning that waves of 1 to 3 meters were still possible.

The earthquake brought daily life in Panama to a halt. The Ministry of Education suspended classes nationwide until further notice, with 65 schools reported damaged. The government closed public offices across the country. Metro lines 1 and 2 in the capital were suspended for safety inspections. Tocumen International Airport briefly halted operations before reopening that afternoon. The Chilibre water treatment plant, which supplies the greater metropolitan area, saw its capacity drop to 20 percent before recovering to around 70 percent. The Panama Canal, a critical artery for global shipping, continued operating normally.

President Mulino visited Penonome to survey the damage and pledged to send additional water and food supplies to affected areas beginning Saturday. The United States said it would dispatch US Southern Command helicopters to assist. Smith drew a line on outside help, telling a Colombian radio station: "We do not need assistance from other countries at this time."

Panama sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a seismically active belt encircling the Pacific Ocean, making earthquakes a frequent occurrence. The AP noted that major earthquakes have struck Latin America repeatedly this year. In June, two powerful quakes in Venezuela killed more than 6,500 people, and in August, a quake in Colombia claimed at least 289 lives.