A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Panama on Friday at 12:56 p.m. ET, with an epicenter in Herrera Province near Pitaloza Arriba at a depth of 12.6 kilometers, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The U.S. National Weather Service issued a tsunami warning covering Colombia, Ecuador and much of the Central American Pacific coast.
A hotel and homes collapsed in Tonosi, while one person was injured in Penonomé amid partial collapses of a government building, a church and the Dos Continentes hotel. Tocumen International Airport suspended operations for damage assessment, disrupting regional air travel.
The largest aftershock, a magnitude 6.6, followed hours later, keeping residents on edge and complicating rescue and damage surveys across the affected provinces.
Emergency authorities in Panama and neighboring countries activated response plans, with the tsunami warning prompting coastal evacuations in low-lying areas along the Pacific. The full extent of damage was still being assessed as aftershocks continued.
