October 09, 2026
DEVELOPING: Massive Earthquake Shakes Panama — Tsunami Threat Issued Across Region
Headline card by The Night Desk
What we know
PANAMA — A massive earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.7 struck southern Panama on Friday afternoon, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. (USGS initially reported 8.0, then revised the figure — expect the number to keep moving as seismologists refine it.)
The quake hit at 1:56 p.m. ET, with an epicenter about 6.2 miles west-southwest of Pitaloza Arriba, Panama. It was felt all across Panama and into neighboring Costa Rica. A magnitude 5.8 aftershock followed shortly after.
Damage and disruption so far
- Footage verified by CNN shows damaged buildings in Penonomé, roughly 70 miles from the epicenter — including a church with a partially collapsed steeple.
- Panama City's public transit system suspended service on two metro lines and evacuated passengers from some stations.
- The main international airport was temporarily closed as a precaution.
- The Education Ministry canceled classes nationwide for the rest of the day.
- President José Raúl Mulino called for calm and said government agencies are investigating the effects.
- The Panama Canal Authority reports the waterway is operating normally.
Tsunami threat
The U.S. Tsunami Warning System issued a tsunami threat for Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Guatemala — with possible waves of 3 to 9 feet in Panama and up to 3 feet in Ecuador. Costa Rica, Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Chile, and Peru could see smaller waves. There is no tsunami threat for the United States.
Context
Fox Weather notes this is the third-strongest earthquake of 2026, behind two magnitude 7.8 quakes — one in the Philippines on June 7 and one in Indonesia on August 14.
This is a developing story. Casualty and damage assessments are still coming in — The Night Desk will update as facts land.
Source: CNN / Fox Weather — read the original report
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