16 October 2026
Panama declared a State of Emergency following two earthquakes on 9 October.
The first was registered at 7.7 magnitude, with the second a tremor of 6.6M, since then there have been at least 400 aftershocks. Incredibly nobody died in the earthquakes but damage is estimated to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
“We are facing a serious disaster,” President José Raúl Mulino told reporters.
The epicentre was near Pitaloza Arriba in the Herrera province, recorded at a shallow depth. A state of emergency was declared the following day to mobilise state resources and President Mulino appointed a commission to coordinate relief.
US$100mn has been allocated to address the damage and this will be reinforced by international assistance. The US has pledged US$5mn in humanitarian aid and the Inter-American Development bank has offered US$300mn in finance. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has estimated losses at 1-10% of GDP.
Damage was reported in all ten provinces and two indigenous territories with Coclé, Los Santos and Herrera the hardest hit. At least 27 people were injured, with damage to over 1,200 homes, 600 schools, hotels, churches and bridges reported. Around 300 residents of Isla Caña were evacuated because of rising seas.
Experts warned that aftershocks could continue for months. Néstor Luque, director of the Institute of Geosciences at the University of Panama (IGC-UP) told La Estrella de Panamá that previous estimates for an earthquake of this magnitude predicted a devastating scenario.
“Theory says that there should have been at least 100 deaths here… and here the theory failed,” said Luque.
Luque explained himself by pointing out the location of the earthquake was in a rural area with dispersed housing which avoided a direct impact on urban concentrations, however buildings did collapse. The shallow depth of the earthquake meant that energy was released vertically and lost intensity as it travelled towards the capital Panama City. Thirdly, the capital is built on bedrock which prevents the amplification of seismic waves.
“In other areas there was significant shaking and wall cracking, but no buildings or houses collapsed. This means we have a good code and people followed it,” added Luque.
More than 2,800 people remain in shelters following the earthquake with almost 38,000 people requiring assistance according to the UN. However, there are no reported fatalities nor people missing.
Classes for students of the Autonomous University of Chiriquí (Unachi) will continue virtually for the foreseeable future.
“The earthquake shatters the idea that nothing is happening here,” said Nahuel Arenas, head of the Regional Office for the Americas and the Caribbean of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR).
Arenas lamented that only around 2% of regional budgets are spent on risk reduction despite damage potentially being in the billions of dollars. “The most expensive hospital is the one that has to be rebuilt,” added Arenas.
Two and three bedroom homes will be built to house families who lost theirs during the earthquake, Mulino announced. This will be via a project developed by police engineers and architects and will be carried out by local construction firms at set prices.
“Behind every instance of damage, there are families in need of answers. I will spare no necessary resources to ensure that aid and solutions reach those who need them most.,” said Mulino. “Our priority is to address needs and ensure aid reaches those who require it.
“The good thing amidst everything that has happened is that there are no casualties and the Panamanian people are calm. We will resolve the material issues, but the important thing is that there are no casualties, and that is a miracle,” concluded Mulino.
Source: Central America Briefing | Vol 14, Issue 19