7.6 magnitude earthquake in Panama. Ninth there are victims. 27 lightly injured. The earthquake, with its epicenter 10 km from Pitaloza Arriba, in the province of Herrera, mainly affected the south-west of the country. According to the USGS (United States Geological Survey), the epicenter of the earthquake was recorded 12 kilometers from the city of Tonosi' in southern Panama and approximately 239 kilometers from the capital. The telluric movement was recorded at 7.56 pm Italian time.
At least 27 people were injured and 300 were evacuated as a result of the 7.6 magnitude earthquake that hit Panama. This is what we read in the latest official balance sheet released by the Panamanian authorities, according to which over 400 buildings have suffered damage. No victims or missing persons were reported, the National Civil Protection System informed.
Authorities also reported the collapse of buildings and roads following the quake, especially in the central area of the country. In detail, 142 shops, four residential buildings, 188 schools, 20 health centers, 26 government buildings, 13 churches, seven hotels, nine bridges and many roads were damaged. The epicenter was recorded in Tonosi, in the south of the country.
Part of former Panamanian president Ricardo Martinelli's house collapsed in the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck the country on Friday. The house is located in Soná, one of the areas affected by the earthquake. Martinelli, president from 2009 to 2014, spread images of the damage on social media, showing some floors of the building reduced to rubble, which also fell on a car parked in the street. According to what the former head of state reported, there were no injuries or victims on his property.
Anomalous waves of up to three meters threaten the coastal areas of Isla Cañas and the southern part of the province of Los Santos, in Panama, after the earthquake recorded around midday today. In Isla Cañas the water has already invaded some homes located close to the coast, according to what the civil protection authorities reported to the director of the Institute of Geosciences of the University of Panama, Néstor Luque. The local media reported it.
Luque reported that 86 aftershocks have been recorded so far, all of a magnitude lower than that of the main shock. The Ministry of Health has called a meeting with regional managers to collect information and coordinate interventions. No damage sufficient to require evacuations was reported to the National Oncology Institute; staff temporarily left the building following safety procedures.
"The Panama Canal continues normal operations following the earthquake. Emergency procedures have been activated and inspections are underway. Safety remains our top priority." This was reported by the Canal's managing director, Ilya Marotta, in a post on social media. However, the motorway bridge of over a kilometer that crosses the Canal (Puente Centenario), the main entry and exit artery from the capital Panama City, is closed.
The Minister of Security, Dinoska Montalvo, reported that an inspection of the structures is underway, which began after the strong 7.6 magnitude earthquake and while the seismic aftershocks continue. “We need to be sure of the integrity of the structure given the high volume of traffic that passes through it,” Montalvo said.
The earthquake caused damage to several buildings and led to the temporary suspension of operations at Tocumen international airport in the capital. The airport subsequently resumed flights after checks on the runways, control tower and structures, which did not reveal any problems that would prevent the resumption of activities.
Panama's Tocumen International Airport has announced that it has ordered the temporary closure of its facilities following the 7.6 magnitude earthquake that hit the south of the country. The airport, located in Panama City, assured via its Instagram account that the administrative staff has been evacuated and that operations will resume once the safety conditions of the airport and the control tower have been verified.
Panama's president, Josè Raul Mulino, said his country was experiencing a "major disaster" after the 7.7 magnitude earthquake caused the collapse of some buildings, with no casualties reported so far. The earthquake, with its epicenter 10 km from Pitaloza Arriba, in the province of Herrera, mainly hit the south-west of the country. "The disaster we are facing is big," Mulino told the press, underlining that there are roads "completely collapsed."
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that his department is mobilizing resources and personnel to assist Panama after the 7.7 magnitude earthquake recorded in the south of the country, at the request of the Panamanian government. "The United States supports the Panamanian people," Rubio wrote on his X account. The head of US diplomacy did not specify the extent of the damage or the resources that will be deployed, and specified that the assistance is being coordinated with the Panamanian authorities.
The interim president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, expressed solidarity with Panama after the 7.7 magnitude earthquake recorded in the south of the Central American country. In a message published on his social media profiles, Rodríguez wrote that Venezuela offered assistance and made contact with the Panamanian authorities "to coordinate the necessary actions". "Panama is not alone", he added, addressing the message to the "brother people", to President José Raúl Mulino and his government.
"I express my full solidarity and affection to the brotherly people of Panama and their government in this difficult moment caused by the strong earthquake. Colombia stands alongside the Panamanian nation in this adversity. We are united by history, brotherhood and bonds of friendship that are strengthened, especially in difficult moments". Colombian President Abelardo De La Espriella writes it on X. "Panama is not alone! You can count on Colombia's support and our full availability to provide any necessary assistance," he concludes.
