Aftershocks Rock Panama After Biggest Earthquake in Decades | Today’s news
(Bloomberg) — Panama was hit by its strongest earthquake in more than seven decades on Friday, prompting the evacuation of the capital’s international airport and sending people fleeing buildings as strong aftershocks rocked the country.
The 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit Herrera province, more than 120 miles (193 kilometers) southwest of the Panama Canal, according to the US Geological Survey. Economic losses in the region are likely to exceed $1 billion, according to initial USGS estimates.
According to the US National Earthquake Information Center, the earthquake was the strongest to hit this part of Panama since 1951. It struck at a depth of 12.6 kilometers, the USGS said.
A magnitude 6.6 aftershock struck west of the original quake late Friday afternoon, according to preliminary USGS data. Another eight tremors were recorded at magnitude 4.8 or greater.
The first earthquake was caused by a rupture along a major plate boundary on the Ring of Fire, a seismically active zone that surrounds the Pacific Ocean. According to Jonathan Tytell, a geophysicist at the US National Earthquake Information Center, the mechanism resembled a strike-slip event in which tectonic plates grind horizontally against each other.
“It was a very chaotic event and shallow, which is not good,” Tytell said. “The energy is right at the surface and doesn’t really have time or distance to dissipate.
The USGS first registered a magnitude of 8.0 before revising it. The Geological Survey of Panama reported a 7.2-magnitude tremor.
In the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said waves of one to three meters (3.3 to 9.8 ft) above high tide were possible along parts of the Panamanian coast. As of 2:42 p.m. local time, all warnings have been lifted.
The Panama Canal said operations are continuing as normal, emergency protocols are being activated and technical teams are checking equipment for damage.
According to local media, the earthquake was felt in several Colombian cities, including Medellín. In Panama, people evacuated buildings, businesses, schools and homes in several regions, local newspaper La Prensa reported.
President José Raúl Mulino said the government was mobilizing personnel, resources and aid for people affected by the earthquake and ordered ministries and public agencies to respond immediately and take preventive measures. Rescuers were scheduled to hold a press conference to provide an update on the impact.
People stood in the streets barefoot or shirtless as the aftershocks continued, said Cibeles De Freitas, communications representative for the local unit of First Quantum Minerals Ltd.
“There’s a lot of fear because we’re not used to earthquakes in Panama,” she said. “We’re fine, we’re just very scared.
First Quantum Minerals did not immediately comment when asked about the impact on its partially idle copper mine, located about 140 kilometers north of the epicenter.
Tocumen International Airport temporarily suspended flight operations and evacuated passengers and administrative areas as a precaution while officials assessed the security of the airport and its control tower. Some flights are being diverted to Colombia and Costa Rica, according to flight-tracking website Flightradar.
Panama City Metro said Lines 1 and 2 were temporarily closed due to the earthquake.
Panamanian firefighters said no deaths or injuries were reported in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake. AES Panama, a unit of AES Corp., the country’s largest electricity supplier, said through a spokesman that its hydro, gas and renewable plants are operational.
Operations on the Trans-Panama pipeline continued as normal after the earthquake, according to a statement from its operator.
Friday’s earthquake was the latest to hit Latin America in recent months.
Venezuela was hit by two earthquakes in late June, killing nearly 6,500 people and causing widespread destruction along its northern coast. In Colombia, the August 10th earthquake killed more than 330 people and triggered an economic crisis as damages were estimated at around $10 billion.
Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella expressed solidarity with Panama and offered aid after Friday’s earthquake.
“Panama is not alone,” De la Espriella said in a post on X, adding that Colombia is ready to provide any help needed.
–With assistance from James Attwood, Valentine Hilaire, Jose Orozco, Brian K. Sullivan, Michael McDonald, and Lucia Kassai.
(Update with aftershock from fourth paragraph. Previous version corrected the name of the US National Earthquake Information Center in the fifth paragraph.)
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