Panama Declares Emergency After Magnitude 7.7 Quake, 27 Injured

Panama declared a national state of emergency on October 10, authorizing up to $100 million for repairs following a magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck the country on October 9.

The quake injured 27 people and damaged infrastructure across all 10 provinces, though no deaths have been reported. Presidential Minister Juan Carlos Orillac announced the decree after an extraordinary cabinet meeting in Panama City, stating that housing, schools, hospitals, roads, and hotels sustained damage. Finance Minister Felipe Chapman assured markets that the Panamanian economy would not stop and that the country possesses the resources for recovery, with any necessary borrowing expected on concessional terms.

International financial institutions and the United States have offered non-reimbursable funds. The main tremor occurred shortly before 1 p.m. local time at a depth of 10 km, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, which initially reported its magnitude as 8.0. The University of Panama's Institute of Geosciences measured it at 7.5 with a depth of 4 km.

By October 10, more than 100 aftershocks had been recorded, with three reaching magnitude 5.2 or higher. A tsunami alert for the eastern Pacific was canceled. Malitzie Rivera, deputy director of the National Civil Protection System, confirmed the 27 injured sustained minor to moderate injuries. Several communities became isolated due to landslides and damaged roads, but no one was reported missing. The provinces of Herrera, Los Santos, Veraguas, and Cocle, closest to the epicenter, experienced damage, with land access to Tonosi severed.