Tsunami threat after 7.6-magnitude earthquake strikes Panama, USGS says

By Greta Ruffino & Euronews Published on 09/10/2026 - 20:40 GMT+2•Updated 22:07 Share Comments Add Euronews on Google Share Facebook Twitter Flipboard Send Reddit Linkedin Messenger Telegram VK Bluesky Threads Whatsapp Local footage showed a cathedral collapsing and a hotel facade falling onto a car in Penonomé, central Panama. No casualties were immediately reported. A powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck Panama on Friday morning, shaking buildings as far as the capital and triggering evacuations, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The quake's epicentre was located near the country's southern tip, around 14 kilometres southwest of the remote community of Pitaloza Arriba, the USGS said. The National Weather Service issued a tsunami warning on Friday for coastal areas of Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Guatemala. Tremors were felt in Panama City, where buildings shook and residents rushed into the streets, awaiting updates on the quake's impact. Omar Smith of Panama's National Civil Protection Service told local broadcaster Telemetro Reporta that damage was mainly reported in the central provinces of Veraguas, Herrera and Los Santos. He said no damage had been reported in the capital, home to hundreds of skyscrapers. Several aftershocks followed, including two measuring magnitudes 5.8 and 5.5, according to the USGS. Local media reported that the quake was also felt in parts of neighbouring Colombia. Panama's Civil Protection agency said it was assessing possible damage in areas near the epicentre. The National Weather Service issued a tsunami warning on Friday for coastal areas of Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Guatemala. Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino urged calm following the earthquake, writing on X: “What happened should not be used to cause alarm or disorder.” Panama is located along the Pacific "Ring of Fire", a 40,000-kilometre stretch of volcanoes and fault lines where most of the world's earthquakes occur. Go to accessibility shortcuts Share Comments Add Euronews on Google Read more Colombia’s Cali remembers earthquake victims one month on Is Germany's Laacher See volcano stirring again? Scientists detect hundreds of deep earthquakes Is Spain facing another major earthquake? A geologist tells Euronews about the risks Panama news Tsunami Earthquake Comments