Urgent tsunami threat issued after massive 8.0 earthquake rocks Panama

By STACY LIBERATORE, US SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR

Published: 14:23 EDT, 9 October 2026 | Updated: 14:43 EDT, 9 October 2026

A massive 7.7 magnitude earthquake has rocked Panama, triggering an urgent tsunami threat message.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said hazardous waves were possible along parts of nine countries: Panama, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador and Mexico.

People in threatened coastal areas were urged to stay alert and follow instructions from national and local authorities.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) initially reported the earthquake as an 8.0, but later reduced it to a 7.7 magnitude.

The agency detected a second 5.5-magnitude earthquake in the region just 46 minutes later.

The seismic activity struck southwest of Pitaloza Arriba, a small village with just a little over 100 residents, but it was felt in the capital of ​Panama City as well ​as ⁠in the capital of neighboring Costa Rica.

Footage from the San Miguelito Metro station in Panama City, about 134 miles from the epicenter, captured panic and evacuations moments after the area shook.

There were no immediate reports of damage in Panama, while ​television footage showed people ​evacuating buildings.

A massive 7.7 magnitude earthquake has rocked Panama, triggering an urgent tsunami threat message

People evacuated buildings in drove after feeling the earthquake in Panama City

‘A tsunami is a series of waves. The time between wave crests can vary from five minutes to an hour,’ the National Weather Service (NWS) Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, Honolulu, HI said in the alert.

‘The hazard may persist for many hours or longer after the initial wave.’

This is a breaking news story… More updates to come.