Massive 7.7 magnitude earthquake strikes Panama as officials investigate potential tsunami threat
The quake struck at a depth of 6 miles near Panama's southern coast, with shaking felt in the capital
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck off Panama's southern coast Friday, shaking the country's capital as officials investigated a potential tsunami threat.
The U.S. Geological Survey initially measured the earthquake at magnitude 8.0 before lowering its estimate to 7.7. The quake struck at 1:56 p.m. ET, approximately 6 miles beneath the surface, near Pitaloza Arriba, Panama.
A 5.5 magnitude aftershock followed, with its epicenter approximately 50 miles east of the initial earthquake.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}People stand outside the maternity ward of the Santo Tomas hospital, following a severe magnitude 8 earthquake thet hit the country, in Panama City on October 9, 2026. (Photo by Martin Bernetti/AFP via Getty Images)
The earthquake was felt in Panama City and in San José, the capital of neighboring Costa Rica, according to Reuters.
Tsunami officials warned that waves reaching 3 to 10 feet above tide levels were possible along some coastal areas of Panama, while parts of Ecuador could experience waves of approximately 1 to 3 feet.
Smaller tsunami waves of less than 1 foot above tide levels were forecast for coastal areas of Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua and Peru.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}COLOMBIA BUILDING COLLAPSES ON CAMERA AS EARTHQUAKE BRINGS DEATH, DESTRUCTION
Medical workers and patients gather outside a hospital following a powerful earthquake in Panama on Oct. 9, 2026. (Photo by Martin Bernetti/AFP via Getty Images)
Despite the potential danger to coastal communities near the earthquake, officials said a Pacific-wide tsunami was not expected.
Earthquakes measuring between 7.0 and 7.9 can cause serious damage, according to Michigan Technological University.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Information about possible damage or casualties from Friday's earthquake was not immediately available.
People gather in a Panama City square after evacuating a building following a powerful earthquake. (Arnulfo Franco/AFP via Getty Images)
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