Panama has been hit by two powerful earthquakes, including a magnitude 7.7 tremor followed by a magnitude 6.6 quake, with authorities reporting injuries and damage to buildings and roads.
The United States Geological Survey said the first earthquake struck on Friday morning near the southern part of the country, with its epicentre about seven miles southwest of Pitaloza Arriba and a depth of approximately seven miles.
The second quake occurred about two and a half hours later, with its epicentre located roughly eight miles west of Río Grande on Panama’s Pacific coast, at a depth of around six miles.
The tremors shook buildings in Panama City, forcing residents to evacuate into the streets as authorities assessed the situation. President José Raúl Mulino called for calm and said officials had not documented any fatalities by Friday evening, although further assessments were expected.
The National Civil Protection Service said damage was concentrated in the central provinces of Veraguas, Herrera and Los Santos. Several people were reported injured, including one person struck by debris from a partially collapsed building in Penonomé.
The town, located about 93 miles from Panama City, also reported damage to a cathedral in its main square, where sections had partially collapsed and cracks had appeared.
The governor’s office building and the Dos Continentes hotel were also affected.
In Los Santos province, local news outlets reported the collapse of the Church of San Atanasio, a historic Catholic church declared a National Historic Heritage Site in 1938.
Meanwhile, large cracks were reported along roadways in Veraguas, raising concerns about infrastructure damage.
More than 45 aftershocks were recorded by seismologists at the University of Panama, including tremors measuring magnitudes 5.8, 5.5 and 5.2.
The earthquakes prompted the US Pacific Tsunami Warning Center to issue an initial warning over the possibility of tsunami waves affecting Panama’s coastline. The centre later announced that the threat had passed.
Tocumen International Airport temporarily halted operations following the first earthquake but resumed operations later in the day. The Panama Canal Authority, meanwhile, said shipping operations continued normally as specialised teams inspected facilities for possible damage.
Panama’s location along the Pacific Ring of Fire makes it vulnerable to seismic activity linked to the movement of tectonic plates, including the Cocos, Nazca and Caribbean plates.
The country last experienced a major earthquake that caused widespread damage in 1991.
That magnitude 7.4 quake, centred in neighbouring Costa Rica, killed 23 people, injured 559 and left thousands homeless in Panama’s border region of Bocas del Toro.
Meanwhile, neighbouring Colombia has expressed solidarity with the Panamanian people and offered support should assistance be required.
The United States Embassy in Panama also said it was monitoring the aftermath and checking on the welfare of American citizens in the country.
