Panama: Earthquake - Oct 2026

On 9 October at 12:56 p.m., a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck 39 km north-west of Tonosí, in the south-central province of Los Santos, at a depth of 4 km, according to the University of Panama’s Institute of Geosciences (IGC-UP). Aftershocks are ongoing, with 56 aftershocks recorded up to 8:11 p.m. No deaths or missing people have been reported. [...] The National Civil Protection System (SINAPROC) reported at least 134 damaged homes, 27 people injured and 188 damaged schools nationwide as of 8:00 p.m. Veraguas, Coclé, Los Santos and Herrera provinces account for most of the damage. In Veraguas, the townships (corregimientos) of Arena, Cacao and Quebro remain cut off, with power, water and Internet outages. Some 300 people were evacuated from Isla Cañas (Los Santos) due to rising sea levels, and eight families are staying in a shelter set up in Penonomé (Coclé). The Ministry of Health (MINSA) reported non-structural damage to 17 health facilities: 6 hospitals, 8 health centres and 3 MINSA-CAPSI (Innovative Primary Health Care Centres). Hospitals in Los Santos, Chiriquí and Herrera provinces and the Panama City metropolitan area were evacuated, and the Hospital del Oriente Chiricano was fully evacuated (209 people). ([OCHA, 10 Oct 2026](https://reliefweb.int/node/4233443))

The University of Panama’s Institute of Geosciences (IGC-UP) has revised the magnitude of the 9 October earthquake to 7.6. The epicentre was 39 km north-west of Tonosí, at a depth of 4 km. The institute has since recorded more than 200 earthquakes, five of them magnitude 6.0 or above. As of 6:30 p.m. on 10 October, the National Civil Protection System (SINAPROC) reported more than 820 damaged homes, 27 people with minor injuries and 29 affected health facilities across ten provinces and two Indigenous territories. The Ministry of Education (MEDUCA) reports 419 affected schools. No one has been reported missing. Some 255 people are staying in two shelters in Mariato (Veraguas) and 12 in one in Peno