7.7 Magnitude Earthquake Rattles Panama; Tsunami Threat Lifted

*Updated 03:05 UTC: Developing story.*

PANAMA CITY: A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Panama on Friday afternoon, rattling the capital and prompting a tsunami threat along the Pacific coasts of Central and South America that officials later lifted, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The quake hit at 1:56 p.m. Eastern time (17:56 UTC), about 12 kilometers west-southwest of Pitaloza Arriba in southern Panama, at a depth of about 12.6 kilometers, the USGS reported. The agency initially estimated the magnitude at 8.0 before revising it to 7.7 upon review. More than 560 people filed felt reports, and the USGS ShakeMap estimates severe-to-violent shaking, intensity VIII to IX, near the epicenter.

Tsunami threat issued, then lifted

The U.S. Tsunami Warning System said tsunami waves of 1 to 3 meters were possible along some coasts of Panama. A tsunami threat was also issued for Colombia, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Guatemala. Waves of up to 3 feet were possible in Ecuador, with less intense waves forecast for parts of Costa Rica, Peru, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico and Chile, according to the warning center. There was no tsunami threat for the United States.

The warning system later said there was no longer a threat, and the USGS record for the quake now carries no tsunami flag. No Pacific-wide tsunami was expected.

What officials know so far

Footage verified by CNN showed damaged buildings in Penonome, about 70 miles from the epicenter, a church with a partially collapsed steeple and another building with a crumbled facade. In the resort town of Playa Venao, a multi-story building collapsed and crushed several cars beneath it. Along the Panama Canal, the Centennial Bridge's suspension cables shook as vehicles drove through, though the canal authority said operations were continuing as normal, with staff inspecting facilities for potential damage.

In Panama City, residents poured into the streets as buildings shook. The tremor was also felt in San José, the capital of neighboring Costa Rica, and in parts of Colombia, according to reports. The city's metro suspended service on two lines and evacuated passengers from some stations; the Education Ministry canceled classes nationwide; the main international airport suspended operations as a precaution before flights resumed later in the day; and the water and sewage institute reported interruptions at several water treatment plants after power outages.

The USGS PAGER system rates the quake a red alert, its highest level. It estimated that landslides and liquefaction triggered by the quake could be significant, and that some casualties were possible and extensive damage probable, a preliminary assessment made before damage reports from the ground were fully tallied.

Panama's president, José Raúl Mulino, called for calm, mobilized government resources for the affected areas, and said he would personally take part in coordinating the response. By Friday evening, officials reported only several minor injuries, with no fatalities or missing persons so far, according to CNN and USA Today. Omar Smith of the National Civil Protection Service told Telemetro Reporta that damage was concentrated in the central provinces of Veraguas, Herrera and Los Santos, with no damage reported in the capital. Mulino visited a hospital in Penonome where patients had been evacuated and were being treated outdoors. The U.S. Embassy in Panama said it was assessing potential damage and asked American citizens in the country to enroll in its traveler program for updates.

The aftershock sequence kept growing through the evening: a magnitude 5.5 near Bajo Corral, a 5.8 near Cacao, and a 6.6 about 14 kilometers west of Río Grande at 20:25 UTC, the largest aftershock so far, which the USGS revised down from a preliminary 6.9 upon review.

The quake was the third-strongest earthquake of 2026, behind two magnitude 7.8 quakes, one in the Philippines on June 7 and another in Indonesia on Aug. 14.

Aftershocks keep coming, but no deaths documented

Seismologists at the University of Panama had recorded more than 45 aftershocks by Friday evening, most too weak to be felt, according to reports. President Mulino said Friday evening that authorities had not documented anyone killed, but cautioned that could change in the coming hours or days. Local news outlets reported that the Church of San Atanasio, a colonial-style Catholic church in Los Santos province declared a National Historic Heritage Site in 1938, had collapsed. In Veraguas province, large fissures ran along roadways.

No deaths had been documented as of Friday evening; only several minor injuries were confirmed. This is a developing story and will be updated as new information is verified.