Magnitude 7.7 earthquake hits southern Panama, shakes capital

A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck southern Panama on Friday, damaging buildings and sending thousands of people into the streets, but the country appeared to escape widespread destruction or deaths. The US Geological Survey (USGS) placed the epicentre in a sparsely populated area about 200km (124 miles) from Panama City, at a depth of 12.6km (7.8 miles).

How strong was the earthquake and where did it strike?

The USGS said the shaking lasted about a minute, with the epicentre roughly 200km from the capital. Nestor Luque, director of the national geosciences institute, said he counted 40 seconds of vibrations in Panama City, although other areas may have felt longer tremors. More than 40 aftershocks rattled the isthmus nation in the following hours. Strong earthquakes are not common in Panama, and some elderly residents were in tears as they evacuated into the streets.

What damage did the earthquake cause?

President Jose Raul Mulino said: “We are facing a major disaster,” adding that some roads had “completely collapsed”. Electricity provider Naturgy reported power outages in six provinces. Video shared on social media showed water falling from the rooftop pool of a building over 20 storeys tall, and a bridge over the Panama Canal shaking violently while remaining upright as vehicles travelled across it.

Salomon Andion, 46, told Agence France-Presse after evacuating his 15-storey building in Panama City: “I was scared because the shaking was very strong and prolonged. Heavy objects like dressers, the bed, and all the kitchen items were shaking.”

Juana Alveo, a 38-year-old cashier at a store in the city of Penonome in central Cocle province, said: “It was horrible, like nothing we ever experienced. My daughter was trapped in school.”

Are the Panama Canal and Tocumen airport operating?

The Panama Canal and the Cobre Panama copper mine reported normal operations, and Tocumen international airport lifted a suspension on flights. In the upmarket business hub of downtown Panama City, office workers worried about getting home in the snarled traffic. Juan Sanchez, a 37-year-old economy ministry employee, waited for a bus he said he doubted would arrive: “They evacuated all of these buildings. Everyone is outside. Now the problem is, how do we get home?”

How many people were exposed and what could the losses be?

An exposure report by the USGS estimated about 43,000 Panamanians lived in areas with at least severe exposure to the quake. The USGS estimated economic losses could amount to between 1% and 10% of Panama’s gross domestic product. Panama was due to hold a national evacuation drill on Monday next week to test its emergency response, in an Atlantic hurricane season that may end without a single hurricane.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on social media that he was “closely monitoring reports” of the earthquake and that the United States was ready to help if needed.

Frequently asked questions

How strong was the Panama earthquake?

The US Geological Survey recorded a magnitude 7.7 earthquake in southern Panama on Friday, at a depth of 12.6km (7.8 miles), with an epicentre about 200km (124 miles) from Panama City.

Did the Panama Canal close after the earthquake?

No. The Panama Canal reported normal operations, as did the Cobre Panama copper mine, and Tocumen international airport lifted a suspension on flights.

Were there deaths in the Panama earthquake?

The country appeared to escape widespread destruction or deaths, according to reports, although President Jose Raul Mulino said Panama was “facing a major disaster” and that some roads had “completely collapsed”.

How many people were exposed to the earthquake?

A USGS exposure report estimated about 43,000 Panamanians lived in areas with at least severe exposure to the quake, and put possible economic losses at 1% to 10% of Panama’s GDP.

With reporting from The Guardian.

Stock image, not from the events described. City Skyline — Joe deSousa / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)