A powerful 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck the southern coast of Panama, prompting authorities to issue tsunami warnings along the west coast of Central and South America. According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the epicenter was located near the southern tip of the country, approximately 14km (9 miles) south-west of the remote community of Pitaloza Arriba. The Institute of Geosciences of the University of Panama reported the initial quake occurred just before 1pm local time near the town of Tonosí, followed shortly by a 6.0 magnitude tremor at 1.22pm. By 1.30pm, at least 13 aftershocks had been recorded.
President José Raúl Mulino addressed the nation via social media, urging citizens to remain calm and avoid creating disorder in the wake of the disaster. Across the country, schools, homes, and office buildings were evacuated as residents felt strong tremors, particularly in Panama City. Local reports and imagery from the newspaper La Prensa highlighted significant destruction, including damage to the St John Baptist Cathedral in Penonomé and a major highway west of the capital being sheared in half. Omar Smith of the National Civil Protection Service confirmed that damage was concentrated in the central provinces of Veraguas, Herrera, and Los Santos, with no immediate reports of structural impact in the skyscraper-heavy capital.
Casualty assessments are ongoing, with officials reporting several injuries, including one person struck by falling debris in Penonomé. Further structural damage includes the collapse of the colonial-style San Atanasio church in Los Santos province—a site designated as a National Historic Heritage Site in 1938—as well as cracks at the governor’s office and the Dos Continentes hotel. While Tocumen international airport temporarily suspended operations to conduct safety checks, the Panama Canal Authority reported that its operations were continuing normally, with specialized teams actively inspecting facilities for any potential risks to personnel or vessels.
The USGS warned that hazardous tsunami waves could impact the coastlines of Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Mexico, though a warning for Chile was cancelled at 4.18pm local time. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the United States is closely monitoring the situation and is prepared to mobilize resources at the request of the Panamanian government.
By 1.3opm there had reportedly been 13 aftershocks.
Smith said several injuries had been reported, including one person struck by debris from a partially collapsed structure in the city of Penonomé, about 93 miles (150km) from the capital. He confirmed a partial collapse and cracks at the cathedral in the district’s main square, as well as damage in the governor’s offic
