By GlobalDeskNews Staff · October 10, 2026
A second powerful earthquake — magnitude 6.6 — struck southern Panama on Friday afternoon, just hours after a 7.7 mainshock rocked the country, the US Geological Survey (USGS) reported. The Panama 6.6 earthquake is the largest aftershock in the sequence so far, sending already-shaken residents back into the streets as buildings near the epicenter collapsed and evacuations spread across the country.
The tremor hit at 3:25 p.m. Panama time (20:25 UTC), roughly four and a half hours after the morning’s mainshock. It capped a frightening afternoon in which more than 40 aftershocks rattled the Central American nation, CNN reported — while officials were still counting the cost of the first.
FILE PHOTO: Panama City’s skyline in daylight. Friday’s twin earthquakes sent residents of the capital streaming into the streets. (Photo: 123Hollic, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons)
Panama 6.6 earthquake hits as largest aftershock
The USGS lists the 6.6 tremor as the most powerful aftershock in Friday’s sequence. CNN, citing USGS figures, called it a preliminary magnitude. Like the mainshock, it struck the same southern-Panama region and was felt widely.
For anyone tracking the Panama earthquake today, October 10, the confirmed picture is this: two major quakes within hours, dozens of aftershocks, collapsed buildings near the epicenter — and, so far, no reported deaths.
FILE PHOTO: The San Juan Bautista cathedral in Penonomé, where the quakes caused a partial steeple collapse. (Photo: Editorpana, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons)
Damage and evacuations across the country
The Associated Press reports the twin quakes collapsed buildings near the epicenter and prompted evacuations across the country. In Playa Venao, a multi-story building came down, crushing cars parked beneath it. In Penonomé, a church suffered a partial steeple collapse, CNN reported.
Civil protection officials say homes, roads, hotels, government buildings, businesses and churches sustained structural damage. This Panama second earthquake damage update will be revised as assessments finish. Metro lines were suspended as a precaution, but the Panama Canal Authority says canal operations are running normally — welcome news for global shipping.
What officials and residents are saying
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino said Friday evening that authorities had not documented anyone killed — though he cautioned that could change. "Nobody was ready, and no one is ever ready for this type of disaster," he said.
Among residents, fear mixed with relief. Rosendo Domínguez, 60, from Herrera province, told The Associated Press by phone: "We felt it very strongly. It knocked things over in the kitchen, but we're okay, though we're very scared."
Panama tsunami warning lifted
Friday brought a different kind of scare: the US Tsunami Warning System warned of possible tsunami waves along some coasts after the mainshock. It has since said there is no longer a threat, and the AP reports the tsunami warning has been lifted.
FILE PHOTO: A road in Panama’s Azuero region, near the earthquake-affected province of Herrera. (Photo: Joseom, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons)
Aftershocks keep rattling the region
The Panama earthquake aftershocks keep coming. University of Panama seismologists have recorded more than 45 — many too weak to be felt — while CNN, citing USGS figures, put the count at more than 40. Each new jolt frays nerves and can further weaken damaged buildings.
Friday’s 7.7 mainshock: what we already know
Friday’s ordeal began at 12:56 p.m. Panama time (17:56 UTC), when the mainshock struck a few kilometers southwest of the community of Pitaloza Arriba in central Herrera province, at a shallow depth of roughly 10 to 12 kilometers. The USGS first reported it as magnitude 8.0, then revised the figure to 7.6 and finally 7.7.
We covered the mainshock as it happened — from the initial 7.6 report and the tsunami threat to the damage follow-up on canal operations, Tocumen airport checks and Penonomé damage. This article covers the new development: the second, 6.6-magnitude quake.
FILE PHOTO: A container ship enters the Miraflores Locks of the Panama Canal. The canal authority says operations are running normally. (Photo: Adam Jones, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons)
Key takeaways
- A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck southern Panama on Friday afternoon — the largest aftershock of the morning’s 7.7 mainshock, per USGS data.
- The second quake hit at 3:25 p.m. Panama time (20:25 UTC), about four and a half hours after the mainshock.
- A multi-story building in Playa Venao collapsed, crushing parked cars; a Penonomé church suffered a partial steeple collapse.
- On Panama earthquake casualties in October 2026, the confirmed picture is encouraging — no deaths documented by Friday evening, only minor injuries reported.
- The Panama Canal Authority says canal operations are running normally, and the tsunami warning has been lifted.
- More than 40 aftershocks have been recorded, and seismologists say the sequence is likely to continue.
Why it matters
A 6.6-magnitude aftershock is a major earthquake in its own right — strong enough to kill and bring buildings down. Hours after a 7.7, it is doubly dangerous: structures weakened by the first quake can fail in the second. And Panama rarely faces seismic violence on this scale — let alone twice in one day — in a populated region, which is why the damage list already runs to homes, hotels, churches and government buildings.
What happens next
The urgent work now is assessment: engineers must check buildings, bridges and roads for damage — some of it invisible — before people can safely return. As President Mulino cautioned, the casualty picture could still change.
Residents should expect more shaking in the coming days as the aftershock sequence plays out. We will keep updating this story as confirmed damage and injury figures come in.
Frequently asked questions
When did the second Panama earthquake hit?
The magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck at 20:25 UTC on October 9 — 3:25 p.m. Panama time, or about 1:25 a.m. PKT on October 10. It came roughly four and a half hours after the 7.7 mainshock, which hit at 12:56 p.m. Panama time, per USGS data.
How does the 6.6 quake compare to the first one?
The 6.6 was the largest aftershock of Friday’s sequence, but it released far less energy than the 7.7 mainshock — each whole step up the magnitude scale means roughly 32 times more energy. The mainshock was first reported as magnitude 8.0 before the USGS revised it to 7.6, then 7.7.
Did anyone die in the Panama earthquakes?
As of Friday evening, President José Raúl Mulino said authorities had not documented anyone killed, though he cautioned that could change. CNN reported several people suffered minor injuries, but there were no reports of fatalities or missing persons after the two quakes.
What damage did the earthquakes cause?
Civil protection officials, cited by CNN, say homes, roads, hotels, government buildings, businesses and churches sustained structural damage. A multi-story building collapsed in Playa Venao, crushing parked cars, and a Penonomé church suffered a partial steeple collapse. Full damage assessments were still underway.
Is the Panama Canal still operating?
Yes. The Panama Canal Authority says canal operations are running normally after the earthquakes. That matters well beyond Panama: the canal is one of the world’s busiest and most important trade routes, and any disruption would have rippled through global supply chains.
Is there still a tsunami threat?
No. The US Tsunami Warning System warned of possible waves along some coasts after the mainshock, but later said there was no longer a threat. The AP reports the tsunami warning has been lifted, so coastal residents in Panama and the wider region can stand down.
Sources
- The Associated Press via weather.com, “Two powerful earthquakes and multiple aftershocks rock Panama” (Oct 9, 2026): weather.com
- The Associated Press via The Hindu BusinessLine, “Panama earthquake: Second 6.6-magnitude tremor follows 7.7 quake” (Oct 9, 2026): thehindubusinessline.com
- CNN, “Powerful earthquake shakes Panama” (Oct 9, 2026): cnn.com
- USGS seismic timing and magnitude data as compiled on Wikipedia’s “2026 Panama earthquake” page: wikipedia.org
Related reading on Global Desk News: our initial report on the 7.6 earthquake and the tsunami threat and the follow-up on buildings damaged across Panama.