Panama Earthquake Triggers Airport Closure and Tsunami Warnings

A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck southeastern Panama, prompting the temporary closure of Tocumen International Airport, suspension of afternoon classes, and tsunami warnings for several Pacific coastal areas. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the earthquake occurred at 12:56 p.m. local time at a depth of 10 kilometers, near Tonosí, approximately 239 kilometers from Panama City.

The USGS warned that fatalities were possible and extensive damage could occur. Local media reported structural damage in several parts of Panama, while authorities also reported multiple aftershocks near the epicenter.

Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino instructed his government to provide information about the earthquake and its effects while urging the public to remain calm.

Mulino called for a measured public response, saying the situation should be handled without unnecessary alarm.

"What happened must not be used to generate alarm and disorder," said José Raúl Mulino, president of Panama.

The U.S. tsunami warning system indicated that waves measuring between one and three meters could affect some coastal areas of Panama. Smaller waves were also possible in Ecuador, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Peru.

Chile's Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service of the Navy issued a tsunami threat and established a precautionary status for Easter Island, also known as Rapa Nui, in the South Pacific. Authorities said the island, approximately 3,700 kilometers west of mainland Chile, could experience the phenomenon at around 10:41 p.m. Chilean continental time.

Under the precautionary measures, people on Easter Island were instructed to move at least 80 meters away from the coastline. Chilean naval authorities said other areas of the country remained under an informational status rather than an alert.

El Salvador's Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources also warned of a possible tsunami following the earthquake. The ministry estimated that the earliest potential arrival along the Salvadoran coast would be at 2:37 p.m. local time on Friday.

The U.S. Tsunami Warning System had previously issued a tsunami threat for the Pacific coasts of Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua, urging residents to monitor official updates.

At Tocumen International Airport, operations were suspended to allow officials to assess the facility and verify safety conditions. Airport authorities announced a temporary closure and preventive passenger evacuation.

"As a precautionary measure, the airport has been temporarily closed, and passengers are being evacuated as a preventive measure in accordance with the established plan," the airport said in a statement.

Airport officials said administrative areas had also been evacuated and staff were assisting passengers throughout the process.

"The administrative areas have been evacuated, and airport personnel are guiding passengers during this process. We ask everyone to follow their instructions," the airport said.

The airport said reopening would depend on safety assessments covering the facility and air traffic control tower.

"Operations will resume once the safety conditions of the airport and the air traffic control tower service have been verified," the airport said.

Guatemala offered assistance to Panama following the earthquake. Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo said he had contacted his Panamanian counterpart, José Raúl Mulino, to express solidarity and offer support.

Arévalo said Guatemala was prepared to provide assistance as needed.

"I have contacted President @JoseRaulMulino to express my solidarity and support following the powerful earthquake in Panama. Guatemala is ready to provide whatever assistance is needed," said Bernardo Arévalo, president of Guatemala, in a post on X.

Guatemala's embassy in Panama also reported that Guatemalan citizens in the country were safe.

"They are safe," Arévalo said, referring to Guatemalan nationals in Panama, according to information from his country's embassy.

Panama's Ministry of Education suspended classes for the afternoon shift and urged the public to remain calm and rely on verified information.

"The Ministry of Education calls for calm and urges the public to remain composed under the current circumstances. People are advised to consult only official channels and avoid spreading unverified information," the ministry said in a post on X.

Earthquakes are measured using seismic instruments that record waves traveling through the Earth. Scientists increasingly use the "moment magnitude scale" rather than the Richter scale because it provides a more accurate measure of an earthquake's size, according to the USGS.

The source compared the Panama earthquake with several deadly historical events, including the magnitude 7.0 earthquake in Haiti on January 12, 2010, which killed at least 217,000 people and injured 300,000. A magnitude 7.3 earthquake in Ashgabat in October 1948 killed 110,000 people, while a magnitude 7.2 earthquake in Messina, Italy, in December 1908 killed an estimated 70,000 to 100,000.

A magnitude 7.6 earthquake in Pakistan killed 86,000 people in October 2005, while the magnitude 7.8 San Francisco earthquake in 1906 killed an estimated 3,000 people, according to the historical figures cited in the report.