Magnitude 7.7 quake hits Panama Oct 9, tsunami threat ends
The Panama Canal continued operating after the October 9 earthquake, while US officials later confirmed the tsunami threat had passed
- A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Panama on October 9, causing building damage and prompting evacuations.
- The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a final bulletin confirming that the tsunami threat from the earthquake had passed.
- Despite the quake's strength, the Panama Canal Authority reported that shipping operations continued normally after the event.
A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Panama on October 9, 2026, damaging buildings and prompting evacuations. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center subsequently confirmed that the tsunami threat had passed, while the Panama Canal continued operating normally.
The earthquake occurred at about 12.56pm local time on October 9, equivalent to 12.56am on October 10 in Thailand. The US Geological Survey’s reviewed record placed the epicentre about 12 kilometres west-south-west of Pitaloza Arriba, at a depth of approximately 12.6 kilometres.
Buildings shook in Panama City, sending residents and office workers into the streets. Reuters reported building collapses in Penonomé, outside the capital.
President José Raúl Mulino mobilised rescue and security personnel and urged residents to remain calm and avoid rumours.
Panama tsunami threat passes after regional forecasts
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center confirmed in its final bulletin that the tsunami threat from the October 9 earthquake had passed.
An earlier forecast covered coastlines in 11 countries, with different anticipated wave heights and the greatest threat identified along parts of Panama’s coast. National authorities were responsible for determining the appropriate alert level in each country.
The centre’s final bulletin said minor sea-level fluctuations could still occur near the earthquake over the following few hours, despite the end of the tsunami threat.
Panama Canal maintains normal operations
The Panama Canal Authority said shipping operations continued normally after the earthquake. The canal connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and is a major route for international maritime trade.
The canal authority activated emergency protocols and deployed technical teams to inspect its facilities for possible damage. Its statement identified the safety of employees, ships, crews and neighbouring communities as priorities.
Thai bulletin concerns a separate, later earthquake
Thailand’s Meteorological Department issued a separate bulletin concerning a later earthquake in Panama, recording magnitude 6.7 at 3.25am on October 10, Thai time. The department placed that earthquake at a depth of 10 kilometres, at latitude 7.71 degrees north and longitude 81.41 degrees west.
The department’s bulletin No 1/2026, issued at 3.38am, estimated maximum shaking near the later earthquake’s epicentre at intensity VIII–IX on the Modified Mercalli scale. The assessment described shaking associated with severe building damage and partial collapse; it was an estimate of conditions near the epicentre.
The Thai Meteorological Department set out the following domestic assessments:
- Impact on Thailand: The later earthquake in Panama had no impact on Thailand.
- Cell Broadcast: The earthquake’s magnitude and epicentre did not meet Thailand’s criteria for issuing mobile alerts through the Cell Broadcast system.
