A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck southern Panama around midday Friday, partially collapsing St. John the Baptist Cathedral in Penonomé and shaking buildings in the capital, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. A second quake of magnitude 6.6 followed about two and a half hours later, and officials had not confirmed any deaths.
The first quake was centered about 7 miles southwest of the remote community of Pitaloza Arriba on the Pacific coast, at a depth of about 7 miles, according to USGS data. Tsunami warnings were issued for Panama and Colombia, as well as Ecuador, Nicaragua and Guatemala, and Al Jazeera reported that Panama’s education ministry ordered schools closed. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center later said the threat had passed.
Omar Smith of the National Civil Protection Service said damage was concentrated in the central provinces of Veraguas, Herrera and Los Santos, with none reported in Panama City. He confirmed a partial collapse and cracks at the cathedral in Penonomé’s main square, plus damage to the governor’s office and the Dos Continentes hotel. Several injuries were reported, including one person struck by debris in Penonomé, and Euronews reported at least 27 people were hurt.
President José Raúl Mulino urged calm in a post on X, writing that the event must not be used to spread alarm and disorder. Whether the cathedral can reopen depends on technical inspections, and the toll from the outlying provinces remains the main unanswered question.
The quake is at least the fourth above magnitude 7.0 in Latin America this year.
It follows the June Venezuela earthquakes and the August Colombia earthquake. Panama lies along the Ring of Fire, the arc of volcanoes and fault lines around the Pacific Basin where most of the world’s earthquakes occur.
