Mighty 7.7 Earthquake Strikes Panama, Spotlight on Seismic Resilience
A massive magnitude 7.7 earthquake has hit Panama, damaging buildings and prompting a wide‑ranging tsunami warning for neighbouring countries.
About 4.6 million people felt moderate to severe shaking as a result of the quake, according to the US Geological Survey, which noted the effects could be widespread.
The quake struck just before 15:00 local time (18:00 GMT) and, due to its shallow depth of 12 km, could trigger tsunamis in Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile and Mexico, the US Tsunami Warning System said. The epicentre lay roughly 6.2 miles (10 km) from the small town of Pitaloza Arriba in south‑central Panama, followed by a series of light aftershocks.
Social‑media footage—yet unverified by the BBC—shows collapsed buildings in the towns of Penonomé and Soná, highlighting the vulnerability of local infrastructure. 200 km (124 miles) away in Panama City, many residents were evacuated from buildings, according to AFP.
The earthquake comes just three days before Panama is scheduled to host a national evacuation drill for dealing with a major quake, underscoring the urgent need for robust emergency planning and resilient building practices. It follows devastating quakes in Colombia and Venezuela earlier in the year, reminding policymakers that seismic risk assessment and climate‑adapted construction are critical for safeguarding communities.
