M7.7 Quake Rocks Panama: Buildings Collapse, Airport Halts Flights as President Mobilizes Nationwide Response
A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck central Panama on Friday, October 9. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) placed the epicenter about 12 km (7.5 miles) west-southwest of Pitaloza Arriba, at a shallow depth of 12.6 km (7.8 miles). The quake struck at 17:56 UTC (10:56 a.m. PDT). USGS initially reported the magnitude as 8.0 before revising it down to 7.7; maximum shaking intensity near the epicenter was estimated at MMI 8.7, and the agency's PAGER system issued a red alert, indicating that significant casualties and economic losses are likely. More than 590 felt reports have been submitted.
Damage was concentrated in Panama's central provinces. In Penonomé, a church bell tower and a government building were damaged, and part of the Dos Continentes hotel collapsed, injuring one person. In Tonosí, a hotel and homes collapsed, and in the beach resort of Playa Venao a multi-story building came down on top of vehicles. In Panama City, high-rises swayed and hundreds of people evacuated into the streets. Both metro lines suspended service, the Education Ministry closed schools nationwide for the day, and Tocumen International Airport temporarily halted operations for a safety assessment. The Panama Canal continued operating normally.
President José Raúl Mulino declared a nationwide mobilization and traveled to the disaster zone to coordinate the response. Panama's civil defense agency said damage was concentrated in the provinces of Veraguas, Herrera and Los Santos, and that search-and-rescue and damage assessments were still under way.
Aftershocks followed the mainshock, including a magnitude 6.6 quake west of Río Grande and several others above magnitude 5. The U.S. tsunami warning system initially issued a tsunami threat for Panama and other Central and South American Pacific coasts, then announced the threat had passed. For Southern California readers: the National Weather Service office in Los Angeles has stated plainly that the quake poses no tsunami threat to the California coast.
Sources: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), CNN, USA Today, Panama's civil defense agency, and the National Weather Service (NWS).
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: Wikimedia Commons · Panama Canal Miraflores Locks.jpg · CC BY-SA 3.0
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