Powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake hits Panama and triggers tsunami warnings

A powerful 7.6 magnitude earthquake has struck Panama and triggered tsunami warnings along the west coast of Central and South America, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).

The quake hit along the southern coast of the country, the USGS said. It was centered near the southern tip of the Central American country, about 14km (9 miles) south-west of the remote community of Pitaloza Arriba, the USGS said.

The Institute of Geosciences of the University of Panama said the quake struck at just before 1pm local time near the southern town of Tonosí. The Panamanian institute said that a second 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck soon after, at 1.22pm.

By 1.30pm there had reportedly been 13 aftershocks.

The president, José Raúl Mulino, said he had asked a key minister to call for calm. “What happened should not be used to generate alarm and disorder,” Mulino wrote on X.

Local newspaper La Prensa said that across the Central American country, buildings, schools and homes were evacuated as a result of the “powerful movement of the earth”.

Footage published by La Prensa showed severe damage to several buildings in the city of Penonomé, including the St John Baptist Cathedral. Other photos showed a highway to the west of the capital that had been completely sheared in half by the earthquake.

Tremors were felt strongly in the capital of Panama City, according to witnesses who spoke to Reuters. The Associated Press reported that buildings shook and visibly shaken residents gathered outside as they waited for news of the quake’s impact.

The USGS said hazardous waves were possible along the coasts of Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador and Mexico, although the tsunami warning for Chile was cancelled at 4.18pm local time.

Omar Smith of the National Civil Protection Service said on the Telemetro Reporta news channel that damage was concentrated in the central provinces of Veraguas, Herrera and Los Santos. He said there were no reports of damage in the capital, which is known for its hundreds of skyscrapers.

Smith said several injuries had been reported, including one person struck by debris from a partially collapsed structure in the city of Penonomé, about 93 miles (150km) from the capital. He confirmed a partial collapse and cracks at the cathedral in the district’s main square, as well as damage in the governor’s office building and the Dos Continentes hotel. No casualties were immediately reported.

Local news outlets also reported that the church of San Atanasio, a colonial-style Catholic church in Panama’s Los Santos province, had collapsed. The church was declared a National Historic Heritage Site in 1938. Elsewhere, including in Veraguas province, large fissures ran along roadways.

Tocumen international airport in Panama City, one of the region’s busiest airports with more than 20 million travelers in 2025, said it would temporarily suspend operations and activated evacuation plans. It said operations would resume once security conditions had been checked.

The Panama Canal Authority said operations were continuing normally along the key global trade route. It said its priority was the safety of employees, vessels and crews and that specialized technical teams were inspecting facilities for possible damage.