Panama declared a state of emergency on Saturday, Oct. 10, after a magnitude-7.7 earthquake and a magnitude-6.6 quake struck the country the previous day, damaging hundreds of buildings, injuring 27 people and unleashing more than 100 aftershocks.
The first earthquake struck near Pitaloza Arriba in Herrera province at a depth of about 10 kilometers and was felt across Panama, including in Panama City and neighboring Colombia. Residents fled buildings and gathered outdoors as tremors continued, while schools and government offices suspended operations. Panama’s civil-protection agency said the damage extended across all 10 provinces and two Indigenous territories, with homes, schools, hospitals, roads, bridges, hotels and churches affected.
Officials estimated that about 420 homes and a similar number of public schools were damaged, while historic churches and other structures collapsed in communities near the epicenter. A tsunami warning issued after the main quake was later lifted, and authorities said the Panama Canal continued operating normally. No deaths had been attributed to the earthquakes, but emergency crews continued assessing damage and assisting residents who spent nights outside because of fears that weakened buildings could collapse.