Two major earthquakes measuring 7.7 and 6.6 in magnitude, followed by numerous aftershocks, struck southern Panama on Friday afternoon. The tremors caused structural damage near the epicentre and prompted evacuations in different parts of the country.
According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the first earthquake was centred about 10 kilometres (6 miles) southwest of Pitaloza Arriba, a remote community in the central province of Herrera. The quake occurred at a depth of approximately 10 kilometres and was felt as far away as neighbouring Colombia.
The USGS initially estimated the magnitude of the first earthquake at 8.0 before revising it to 7.6 and subsequently updating it to 7.7.
In Panama City, frightened residents gathered outside buildings while waiting for information about the extent of the damage. Rosendo Domínguez, 60, a resident originally from Herrera province, told The Associated Press by phone that the shaking was extremely strong, knocking items over in his kitchen. Although his family was safe, he said people throughout the area were frightened and had moved outdoors.
Several aftershocks continued to shake the country, including tremors measuring 5.8, 5.5 and 5.2 in magnitude. Seismologists at the University of Panama recorded more than 45 aftershocks, although many were too weak for residents to notice.
Authorities urge calm as buildings suffer damage
Despite the intensity of the earthquakes, Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino said on Friday evening that officials had not recorded any deaths. However, he warned that the situation could change as assessments continued over the following hours and days.
Earlier, Mulino had appealed to the public to remain calm, acknowledging that people were unprepared for such a disaster.
Photographs showing damaged buildings and extensive cracks in roads heightened public concern, particularly as the wider region has experienced several destructive earthquakes in recent months.
In June, two consecutive earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 struck Venezuela's La Guaira state, killing more than 6,500 people and leaving approximately 17,000 homeless. Another earthquake, measuring 7.4, struck Colombia in August and claimed at least 289 lives.
Carlos Valdés, head of the Seismology Department at Mexico's National Autonomous University, suggested that Panama's comparatively lower number of casualties could be partly explained by its strict building regulations, particularly those governing high-rise construction in the capital.
Omar Smith of Panama's National Civil Protection Service told the Telemetro Reporta news channel that the most significant damage had occurred in the central provinces of Veraguas, Herrera and Los Santos. No damage had been reported in Panama City, he said.
Several people sustained injuries, including one person who was hit by debris from a partially collapsed building in Penonomé, located about 150 kilometres (93 miles) from the capital.
Smith also confirmed that part of a cathedral in the district's main square had collapsed and that cracks had appeared in the structure. Damage was also reported at the governor's office and the Dos Continentes hotel.
Local media reported that the Church of San Atanasio, a historic Catholic church in Los Santos province, had collapsed. The colonial-era building was designated a National Historic Heritage Site in 1938. In other areas, including Veraguas province, large cracks appeared along roads.
Tocumen International Airport in Panama City, one of the region's busiest aviation hubs, temporarily halted operations following the initial earthquake. The airport, which handled more than 20 million passengers in 2025, announced later on Friday that services were resuming.
Meanwhile, the Panama Canal Authority confirmed that shipping operations along the internationally important trade route were continuing normally. It said protecting employees, vessels and crews remained its main priority, while specialised teams inspected facilities for possible damage.
Tsunami alerts issued across the Pacific region
Panama's last major earthquake to cause widespread destruction occurred in 1991. That 7.4-magnitude earthquake was centred in neighbouring Costa Rica and killed 23 people, injured 559 others and left thousands homeless in the border region of Bocas del Toro.
Earthquakes are relatively common in Panama, particularly along its border with Costa Rica and its Pacific coastline. The country's seismic activity results from interactions among several tectonic plates, including the Cocos, Nazca and Caribbean plates.
Panama is also situated within the Pacific Ring of Fire, a roughly 40,000-kilometre (25,000-mile) zone of volcanoes and geological fault lines surrounding the Pacific Ocean. The region accounts for a large proportion of the world's earthquakes.
Following Friday's tremors, the US National Weather Service issued tsunami warnings for coastal areas of Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Guatemala. Alerts issued by El Salvador and Chile for Easter Island were also subsequently cancelled.
Néstor Luque, director of the Geosciences Institute at the University of Panama, said waves measuring between 3 and 10 feet (1 to 3 metres) were anticipated near Isla Cañas and the southern coastline of Los Santos province. However, significantly larger waves were not expected in other areas.
Luque added that seawater had already reached some homes near the coast on Isla Cañas.
International community offers support
Messages of solidarity and offers of assistance arrived from several countries across Latin America on Friday afternoon.
President Mulino thanked regional leaders for their support and said he had spoken with the presidents of Chile, Uruguay and Guatemala, among others.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington was closely monitoring developments and rapidly mobilising personnel and resources to assist Panama at the request of its government.
In a message posted on X, Rubio expressed the United States' support for the Panamanian people.
Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella also conveyed solidarity with Panama and its government, describing the situation as a difficult period for the country. He pledged Colombia's willingness to provide whatever assistance was required.
Acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez, Costa Rican President Laura Fernández Delgado, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa and the Peruvian government also offered support.
De la Espriella reiterated Colombia's commitment in his message, assuring Panama that it could rely on its neighbour's support and assistance as authorities responded to the earthquake emergency.