Panama Quake Losses May Top $1 Billion After 7.7 Shock

A 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Panama on Friday, the strongest to hit the country in more than seven decades, forcing the evacuation of Tocumen International Airport and sending people into the streets while a series of aftershocks rattled the region.

The US Geological Survey said the quake hit Herrera Province at a depth of 12.6 kilometers, more than 120 miles (193 kilometers) southwest of the Panama Canal. Economic losses in the region are likely to exceed $1 billion, according to an early USGS estimate.

Initial USGS readings put the quake at magnitude 8.0 before the USGS revised it to 7.7. Panama's geological institute recorded 7.2.

The US National Earthquake Information Center said the quake was the strongest to hit that part of Panama since at least 1951.

A magnitude-6.6 aftershock struck west of the initial quake Friday afternoon, according to preliminary USGS readings. Eight more registered at magnitude 4.8 or stronger, the USGS said.

The rupture ran along a major plate boundary on the Ring of Fire, the seismically active zone that encircles the Pacific Ocean. The mechanism resembled a strike-slip event, in which tectonic plates grind past each other horizontally, according to Jonathan Tytell, a geophysicist at the US National Earthquake Information Center.

"It was a very messy event, and shallow, which is not good," Tytell said. "The energy is right there at the surface and it doesn't really have time or distance to dissipate."

Waves of one to three meters (3.3 to 9.8 feet) above tide level were possible along parts of Panama's coast, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said. All warnings had been lifted by 2:42 p.m. local time.

The Panama Canal said operations were continuing normally. Emergency protocols were activated, and technical teams were inspecting facilities for possible damage.

Tocumen International Airport suspended air operations and evacuated passengers and administrative areas so officials could assess the safety of the airport and its control tower. Some flights were being diverted to Colombia and Costa Rica, according to flight-tracking website Flightradar.

Panama City's Metro said lines 1 and 2 were temporarily shut down. People evacuated buildings, businesses, schools and homes across several regions, the newspaper La Prensa reported. Firefighters said there were no reports of deaths or injuries in the immediate aftermath.

AES Panama, a unit of AES Corp. and the country's top electricity supplier, said through a spokesperson that its power plants were operational.

Activities at the Trans-Panama oil pipeline were continuing normally after the quake, according to a statement from its operator.

First Quantum Minerals Ltd. didn't immediately comment on any impact to its partially idled copper mine, about 140 kilometers north of the epicenter. Cibeles De Freitas, a communications representative for the company's local unit, said people stood barefoot or shirtless in the streets while aftershocks continued.

"There's a lot of fear because we're not used to earthquakes in Panama," De Freitas said. "We're OK, just very scared."

President José Raúl Mulino said the government was mobilizing personnel and aid for people affected by the quake and ordered ministries and public agencies to respond immediately and take preventive measures. Emergency officials were expected to hold a news conference to provide an update on the impact.

Friday's quake was the latest to hit Latin America in recent months. Twin earthquakes struck Venezuela in late June, killing nearly 6,500 people and causing widespread destruction along its northern coast. A quake in Colombia on Aug. 10 killed more than 330 people and prompted an economic emergency. Damage was estimated at roughly $10 billion. The Panama quake was felt as far away as Medellín and other Colombian cities, local media reported.

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella expressed solidarity with Panama. "Panama is not alone," he said in a post on X, adding that Colombia was ready to provide whatever assistance was needed.