7.7 magnitude earthquake rocks Panama: Historical churches collapse, "major disaster" declared (photos)

A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7 was recorded yesterday (09) in the southern region of Panama, a Central American state. The earthquake, which occurred at 12:56 PM local time in Panama (11:26 PM Sri Lanka time), had its epicenter approximately 12 km west-southwest of a rural area called Pitaloza Arriba in Herrera province, at a shallow depth of 12.6 km below the Earth's surface.

This location is situated approximately 200 km southwest of the capital, Panama City, and the world-renowned Panama Canal.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) initially reported the earthquake's magnitude as close to 8.0 but later revised it to 7.7. According to their estimates, approximately 4.6 million people felt the tremor, with nearly 43,000 living in areas that experienced severe shaking.

Panama's Institute of Geosciences states that this earthquake is linked to the Azuero-Soná fault system. Such powerful earthquakes are rare in Panama, which is located in a complex zone where the Cocos, Nazca, and Caribbean tectonic plates converge.

The University of Panama reports that more than 45 aftershocks were recorded after the main earthquake. The strongest of these was a magnitude 6.6 tremor that occurred approximately two and a half hours later. The USGS has warned of a high probability of further tremors exceeding magnitude 5 in the coming week.

The most significant damage occurred in the central provinces of Veraguas, Herrera, Los Santos, and Coclé. In the city of Penonomé, located midway between the epicenter and the capital, a part of the cathedral tower collapsed, and the governor's office also sustained damage. In the same city, the rear section of the "Dos Continentes" hotel collapsed onto parked vehicles.

In Playa Venao, a popular tourist town in Los Santos province, a section of a multi-story building collapsed, crushing several vehicles. Local reports suggested people might be trapped inside, but this has not yet been confirmed. The colonial-era San Atanasio church in Los Santos, designated a national historical heritage site since 1938, also collapsed.

Roads around the epicenter have cracked and completely collapsed, and it is reported that access to the Tonosí area of Los Santos by land has been lost. Houses in areas including Las Minas in Herrera province have cracked, and power supply was disrupted in six provinces. The operation of several water treatment plants was also affected.

"We are scared. It's just the two of us, elderly, living here. The house is cracked, and we are afraid it will collapse on us," said 74-year-old Ricardo Brown, a resident of Las Minas, to the media.

Strong tremors were also felt in Panama City, 200 km away, and people were evacuated en masse from tall buildings. Services on two metro lines were temporarily suspended, and debris fell in some areas. However, no serious structural damage to the capital's skyscrapers has been reported.

After emergency safety procedures and inspections, the Canal Authority announced that operations at the Panama Canal were proceeding as normal. The Cobre Panamá copper mine is also reported to be operating normally. Flights at Tocumen International Airport were briefly halted for safety checks but later resumed. Schools nationwide were closed, and coincidentally, a national earthquake evacuation drill was scheduled for next Monday.

According to the latest reports, no fatalities have been confirmed from this earthquake. Omar Smith, head of Panama's Civil Protection Agency (Sinaproc), and Deputy Head Malitzi Rivera stated that there are a few minor injuries, including one person injured by falling debris in Penonomé. Assessing the situation in difficult-to-reach areas is still challenging due to road damage and communication disruptions.

President José Raúl Mulino declared the situation a "major disaster" and urged the public to remain calm, stating that "what happened should not be used to create fear or chaos." He visited Penonomé and toured a hospital where patients were being treated outdoors. Several countries have offered assistance.

The USGS estimates that Panama's economic loss could be between 1% and 10% of its GDP, and attention has also been drawn to the risks of soil liquefaction and landslides.

Following the earthquake, tsunami warnings were issued for coastal areas in countries including Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Mexico. However, the United States Tsunami Warning System later confirmed that the threat had passed. It noted that minor sea-level fluctuations might still occur around the epicenter.

This is considered another powerful earthquake in the region, following deadly earthquakes earlier this year in Venezuela and Colombia.