Magnitude 6.1 quake strikes southern Panama days after 7.7 tremor, no immediate casualties reported
A preliminary magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck southern Panama on Monday evening, 12 October, about 18 km west of Río Grande, with no immediate reports of casualties or damage. It followed a 7.7 quake on Friday, 9 October, that injured at least 27 people and damaged nearly 900 homes.
A new quake on Monday evening
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) gave a preliminary magnitude of 6.1 for an earthquake that struck southern Panama at around 6:20 p.m. local time on Monday, 12 October. It was recorded at a depth of 10 kilometres, about 18 kilometres west of Río Grande, and AP reported no immediate reports of casualties or property damage. Rai reported that the tremor was felt lightly in Panama City, about 300 km from the capital near the island of Coiba, and was also felt in neighbouring Costa Rica. Rai put the number of aftershocks since Friday's first shock at more than 400, while Reuters reported more than 300 aftershocks following Friday's quake.
- Magnitude 7.7 earthquake strikes Panama, followed by a 6.6 quake, aftershocks and building collapses near the epicentre
- Government declares a national state of emergency
- USGS records a preliminary magnitude 6.1 quake about 18 km west of Río Grande, with no immediate casualties or damage reported
Conflicting magnitude estimates
The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) gave a magnitude of 6 and a depth of 35 km, according to Reuters. Greek outlets reported that the EMSC and USGS estimated the quake at 6.1, and that the Institute of Geosciences of the University of Panama recorded 6.4 at a focal depth of 2 km off the southern coast of Veraguas province. Rai described the 6.4 figure differently, as an aftershock recorded at the same moment 32 km south-west of Soná on the Azuero peninsula, an area already hit by Friday's quake. Across the sources, estimates of the magnitude range from 6.0 to 6.4.
Damage from Friday's 7.7 quake
On Friday, 9 October, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Panama. AP reported that it was followed by a 6.6 earthquake and a series of aftershocks that afternoon, collapsing buildings near the epicentre and prompting evacuations across the country. Reuters reported that the quake damaged hundreds of homes and infrastructure across the central provinces, with Los Santos, Coclé, Veraguas and Herrera among the most affected. Emergency authorities said at least 27 people were injured and nearly 900 homes were damaged, and no deaths had been reported. The government declared a national state of emergency during the weekend of 10 and 11 October.
- Injured, at least
- 27
- Homes damaged, nearly
- 900
What remains unknown
Emergency authorities warned that the toll could rise as assessments continue in remote communities. Rai gave a different picture, reporting about thirty injured and hundreds of people left without homes. The newer Reuters figures of at least 27 injured and nearly 900 damaged homes are the counts that carry the most recent measurement date available in the sources. The Monday quake's own effects were still being assessed in the sources at the time of reporting, with no damage confirmed.
