Q24N — The earthquake that struck Panama on Friday, October 9, 2026, registered as a magnitude 7.7 earthquake according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Its epicenter was located Near Pitaloza Arriba in south-central Panama’s Herrera province, at a shallow depth of about 10 to 12 km.
The Instituto de Geociencias de la Universidad de Panamá (IGC-UP)—Institute of Geosciences of the University of Panama—reported the quake at a magnitude of 7.5.
Sixty-six hours after the main earthquake, the IGC-UP reported that 49 seismic events were recorded over the last 24 hours, while the average magnitude of the aftershocks decreased from 4.7 on the first day to 3.8 during the most recent period.
Between Sunday night and the early hours of Monday alone, 96 aftershocks were recorded, according to a report presented by Malitzie Rivera, Deputy Director of Panama’s Sistema Nacional de Protección Civil (Sinaproc)—National Civil Protection System, on Telemetro Reporta.
According to the IGC-UP, aftershocks will continue as the fault zone readjusts following the main earthquake. This process can last for days, weeks, or even months, although the tremors generally tend to be of lower magnitude and occur at longer intervals.
The Tocumen International (Panama) Airport reported that flight operations gradually returned to normal on Sunday. However, ongoing aftershocks continue to necessitate preventive measures to ensure the safety of passengers and staff.
Tocumen General Manager José Ruiz Blanco reported the Airport is maintaining flight operations, although schedules may experience delays and changes due to security measures implemented following the earthquake.
Why didn’t the earthquake cause major damage in the capital city?
Ramiro Vargas, a structural engineer at the Technological University of Panama (UTP), explained that the depth of an earthquake is one of the factors determining how seismic waves propagate and affect buildings.
Vargas explained that magnitude is not the only factor determining a structure’s behavior during an earthquake. The depth of the seismic event, the distance to the epicenter, and the characteristics of the buildings also play a role.
According to the specialist, the seismic waves lose intensity as they propagate. According to preliminary analyses by the UTP’s seismic instrumentation program, the accelerations recorded near the epicenter were considerably higher than those observed in Panama City.
Across international borders and Tsunami warning
Because the earthquake occurred at a shallow depth, its seismic energy traveled efficiently over 200 kilometers to Panama City, where high-rise buildings were evacuated. Tremors were also reported across international borders in Costa Rica and Colombia, but no severe structural damage occurred.
The immense reach of the seismic waves prompted the U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center to temporarily issue alerts for the entire Pacific coastline spanning from Mexico all the way to Peru, though these were later lifted after confirming no threat existed.