Second Earthquake Strikes Panama After Powerful Quake

A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck Panama on Friday, October 9, 2026, after a stronger quake shook the country, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The tremors followed a magnitude 7.7 earthquake that damaged buildings near its epicenter and caused evacuations.

The USGS said the earlier earthquake was centered about 10 kilometers southwest of Pitaloza Arriba near Panama’s southern tip, at a depth of 10 kilometers. The agency said aftershocks continued after the main quake.

Residents in Panama City evacuated buildings as shaking reached the capital, where people gathered outside while waiting for updates. The National Weather Service issued a tsunami warning for Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Guatemala.

“We felt it very strongly. It knocked things over in the kitchen, but we’re okay, though we’re very scared. Everyone is outside, scared,” said Rosendo Domínguez, 60, who is from Herrera province, in a phone interview with The Associated Press.

Omar Smith of Panama’s National Civil Protection Service said damage was concentrated in the central provinces of Veraguas, Herrera and Los Santos. He also said there were no reports of damage in Panama City.

Panama’s Civil Protection said it was investigating possible damage in areas near the earthquake location. The country is located along the Pacific Ocean’s Ring of Fire, a region with many seismic faults.