Strong earthquake hits southern Panama

A strong earthquake hit southern Panama on October 9, 2026. It happened at 12:56 in the afternoon, local time. The earthquake had a magnitude^*1 of 7.7. This information comes from the USGS, the United States Geological Survey. The USGS is a government office in the United States that studies earthquakes.

The center of the earthquake was about 12 kilometers west-southwest of the town of Pitaloza Arriba. It was 12.6 kilometers under the ground. The earthquake happened along a fault^*2. The two sides of the fault slid sideways past each other.

The USGS gave a red alert^*3 for both deaths and damage. About 4.6 million people felt strong shaking from the earthquake. Maps from the USGS and reports from people who felt it show that the shaking reached level 9 on the shaking scale^*4 in the strongest places. About 4.6 million people felt shaking of level 5 to level 8.

After the main earthquake, there were 51 aftershocks^*5. The USGS says more aftershocks may come in the next week. There is a 67% chance of an aftershock of magnitude 6 or higher. There is a 12% chance of an aftershock of magnitude 7 or higher.

1. *1 magnitude: a number that shows how big an earthquake is; a bigger number means a bigger earthquake
2. *2 fault: a long crack deep in the ground where two big pieces of rock can move
3. *3 red alert: the highest warning; it means many people may have died and many buildings may be destroyed
4. *4 shaking scale: a set of numbers that shows how hard the ground shook in a place; a bigger number means harder shaking
5. *5 aftershocks: smaller earthquakes that come after a big earthquake