The shallow offshore quake prompted warnings about potential infrastructure damage and possible tsunami threats.

On Friday, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck Panama, raising alarm in Central American countries over a possible tsunami.

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The seismic event occurred at 12:56 p.m. local time, with its epicenter in the Pacific region, 39 kilometers (24 miles) west of the town of Tonosi, at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), in Los Santos province, according to preliminary reports issued by the Institute of Geosciences at the University of Panama.

The earthquake was felt strongly in various parts of Panama, including areas of the capital such as Tocumen, as well as in border areas of Costa Rica.

Because of the earthquake’s shallow depth and magnitude in the coastal maritime zone, authorities and monitoring agencies issued warnings about the potential risk of infrastructure damage and possible sea-level fluctuations that could pose a tsunami threat to Pacific coastlines.

🇵🇦‼️ | URGENTE — Así se vivió el potente terremoto de magnitud preliminar 8,0 que sacudió Panamá. pic.twitter.com/3Vp3tFQ7aK

— Polymarket Español (@polymarketenesp) October 9, 2026

The text reads, “This is how the powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 8.0 that shook Panama unfolded.“

Minutes after the earthquake, community monitoring networks such as Sismo Detector recorded hundreds of reports submitted by residents within a radius of more than 300 kilometers (186 miles) of the epicenter.

The public reports came mainly from nearby Panamanian localities such as Almirante, as well as areas along Costa Rica’s southern Pacific coast, such as Ciudad Cortes, highlighting the quake’s wide reach.

Rescue teams and civil protection agencies immediately began field assessments to check for possible damage to buildings, basic services and transportation routes.

The vulnerability of the isthmus’ coastal and island areas has kept authorities on high alert. Meanwhile, residents have been urged to remain calm, stay away from structures at risk and closely follow official bulletins to prepare for possible precautionary evacuations in areas under seismic and maritime threat.

teleSUR/ JF

Sources: EFE – teleSUR

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