The earthquake that struck Panama on Friday, October 9, 2026, was a magnitude 7.7, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It hit at 1:56 p.m. ET about 12 km west-southwest of Pitaloza Arriba on the Azuero Peninsula, at a shallow depth of roughly 13 km (8 miles).
Early media reports put it at 7.6 before USGS settled on 7.7, and a magnitude 6.6 aftershock followed near Río Grande about two and a half hours later. USGS issued a red PAGER alert, its highest level for expected impact.
Source: USGS event page M 7.7, Panama