A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck southern Panama near Pitaloza Arriba in Herrera province on October 9, 2026, damaging buildings across several provinces and triggering tsunami warnings that were issued and then cancelled across multiple Pacific coast nations [1][3][5]. The US Geological Survey initially registered the quake at magnitude 8.0 before revising it to 7.7, with an epicenter about 10 kilometers southwest of Pitaloza Arriba at a depth of roughly 10 to 13 kilometers [5][9][22]; other reports placed the epicenter in Los Santos province near Tonosí [15][19][25]. The quake was followed by more than 100 aftershocks [9][18], including one initially registered at magnitude 6.9 and later revised to 6.6 [8][14].
The US tsunami warning system issued alerts for nine to eleven Pacific coast countries — Panama, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Mexico — projecting waves of up to three meters within hours of the quake [5][6][11][22]. El Salvador's authorities declared a "moderate tsunami threat" with possible sea-level rise of up to one meter [8]. Guatemala's INSIVUMEH estimated wave arrival times for its Pacific coast [32]. Chile's naval hydrographic service declared a precaution state for Easter Island [9][15][25].
Several national technical authorities rejected the threat before or independently of the US system. Costa Rica's SINAMOT confirmed via social media that Costa Rica faced no tsunami danger after analyzing seismic and marine parameters [32][43]. Colombia's National Unit for Disaster Risk Management announced that, per the maritime authority Dimar, there was no tsunami threat to Colombia's Pacific coast [9]. Peru's Navy hydrography directorate stated the earthquake did not generate a tsunami on the Peruvian coast [40]. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center revised the magnitude downward and declared the regional danger over in its fourth and final bulletin, saying no further protection measures were required [9][14][21][43]. Chile's SHOA cancelled its Easter Island precaution after the downward revision and new wave modeling [41]. Ecuador's risk management secretary and oceanographic institute formally cancelled their alert [39]. El Salvador's environment ministry cancelled its threat notice [42].
President Jose Raul Mulino called the earthquake a "major disaster" and said some roads had "completely collapsed," ordering all public institutions closed and schools suspended nationwide while supplies and tents were distributed [5][12][14]. Mulino urged calm, stating that "what happened should not be used to cause alarm or disorder" [1][3]. Civil protection official Omar Smith reported damage concentrated in Veraguas, Herrera, and Los Santos provinces, with several injuries and partial collapses including cracks at a cathedral and damage to the governor's office and a hotel [5][29]. Interior Minister Dinoska Montalvo reported 15 students with minor injuries and no deaths or missing persons nationwide [14].
Residents across Panama City described a different experience. Salomon Andion said the shaking was "very strong and prolonged," moving dressers and kitchen items as he evacuated his 15-storey building [12]. Juana Alveo called it "horrible, like nothing we ever experienced," with her daughter trapped at school [12]. A Panama City resident named Nehemias said it took him an hour to travel less than three kilometers, and that he saw no firefighters, police, civil protection officers, or volunteers: "La ciudad y la población a su suerte" (the city and its people left to their fate) [9]. Another resident, Lucas, described seeing neighbors "muy desorientados" (deeply disoriented), comparing the evacuation to a drill where nobody knew their role [9].
Omar Bultrón, mayor of Los Pozos district — one of the country's poorest municipalities — said hundreds of homes collapsed and all church towers fell, with five of nine corregimientos affected and the San Pedro parish largely destroyed [10][34]. Health Minister Fernando Boyd said the greatest damage occurred in Coclé, Los Santos, and Herrera provinces, and that land transport to Tonosí was completely cut off, requiring access by air [14][38]. A resident of Tonosí described house collapses, the overturned Kiki hotel with four people trapped and rescued, and ongoing fear [38]. The USGS projected economic losses of 1% to 10% of Panama's GDP [9][12]. Power outages affected six provinces, and the national water institute IDAAN reported plant interruptions, with the Chilibre plant operating at 20% capacity [19][35].
The Panama Canal Authority reported the canal was operating normally and undamaged [3][5][29]. The Cobre Panama copper mine also reported normal operations [12]. Tocumen International Airport briefly suspended operations before reopening [5][29]. The Panama City metro suspended service on two lines for safety inspections [6][28].
Néstor Luque, director of Panama's Institute of Geosciences, attributed the quake to the Azuero-Soná fault system releasing long-accumulated tension: "Es un sistema de fallas activas que, ocasionalmente, debido a la acumulación de tensión, liberan esta cantidad de energía" (It is a system of active faults that, occasionally, due to the accumulation of tension, release this amount of energy) [9]. USGS seismologist Susan Haff stated the earthquake occurred at shallow depth with mainly horizontal movement rather than in a subduction zone, indicating it was unlikely to generate a large tsunami but would produce strong shaking [17]. Omar Smith noted the epicenter was on land, not offshore, making tsunami waves unlikely [9]. Costa Rican seismologists acknowledged the event fell outside their early-warning parameters. Walter Jiménez of Ovsicori explained that "este sismo de Panamá, al estar tan lejano, prácticamente se sale de los parámetros que tiene alerta temprana" (this Panama quake, being so distant, practically falls outside the early-warning parameters) [44]. Leopold Linkimer of the University of Costa Rica's National Seismological Network said the aftershock activity was outside the national station coverage, making most aftershocks difficult to locate [44].
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered US assistance to Panama [9][36]. Colombia's President Abelardo de la Espriella expressed solidarity and offered full willingness to provide assistance [36][45]. Guatemala's President Bernardo Arévalo spoke with Mulino to convey support and place emergency resources at Panama's disposal [36]. Panama's Finance Minister Felipe Chapman announced personal contacts with the IDB, CAF, CABEI, World Bank, and IMF to obtain recovery resources [36]. CAF pledged a $250,000 donation [9]. The United Nations System in Panama activated its Emergency Response Group and stood ready to support authorities [19].
Panama's government is leading the response through SINAPROC and the National Emergency Operations Center and has not requested international assistance [19]. Mulino traveled to Penonomé to coordinate relief and said he expected to reach Tonosí on Saturday [10][38]. A national evacuation drill had been scheduled for three days after the earthquake [3][6].