Panama Canal Operates Normally After 7.7 Earthquake
In the Panama Canal, emergency and inspection protocols were activated without affecting the transit of ships. Photo: Getty images.
October 9, 2026 Hour: 6:28 pm
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The Panama Canal remained operational Friday after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck southwestern Panama, with emergency protocols activated and inspections carried out without disrupting the transit of vessels through the interoceanic waterway.
Panamanian authorities confirmed that the Panama Canal continues to function normally after the powerful earthquake that shook the southeast of the Central American country on Friday.
Emergency protocols and facility inspections were activated along the waterway without affecting ship transit.
RELATED: Magnitude 7.2 Earthquake Strikes Panama
According to official data, 40 vessels were waiting to cross the canal, through which between 3 and 5 percent of world trade passes and which connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Keeping that route open matters not only for Panama but for shipping across the hemisphere.
The earthquake registered a magnitude of 7.7 at 12:56 P.M. local time, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The epicenter sat 12 kilometers from the town of Tonosí, in southwestern Panama, about 239 kilometers from the capital, at a depth of 10 kilometers.
Text reads: “The Panama Canal assures that for the moment operations are maintained on the sea route. They keep inspecting their facilities.”
The shallow depth amplified the shaking felt across the region. U.S. Tsunami Alert System issued a tsunami threat for the Pacific coasts of Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala and Nicaragua in the hours after the quake. Several countries began canceling those alerts later in the afternoon as the danger receded.
Panamanian authorities reported no injuries, though initial assessments confirmed some material damage. In the first two hours after the main shock, the USGS recorded at least eight aftershocks with magnitudes of 5.5, 5.8, 5.0, 5.0, 5.0, 4.8, 5.2, 4.9 and 6.6, a sequence that kept residents on edge through the afternoon.
Text reads: “From our aerial unit, view of the traffic on the marine section of the South corridor.”
Airport Reopens, Calm Urged
Tocumen International Airport suspended operations temporarily after the earthquake. Administrative staff were evacuated while inspections took place, and flights resumed shortly after once the safety of the terminal and the control tower had been verified, the institution reported.
The airport, located in Panama City, said through its social media that runways, taxiways, airport facilities and the control tower were all inspected. No damage was found that would prevent the resumption of operations, allowing the hub to reopen the same day.
In the capital, the earthquake was felt with force. Although no significant structural damage was reported at first, authorities ordered the evacuation of residents from several buildings in Panama City as a precautionary measure.
President José Raúl Mulino called on the public to remain calm through his social media accounts. He emphasized that what happened “should not be used to generate alarms and disorder,” urging citizens to avoid spreading panic while official assessments continued.
The president asked Government Minister Dinoska Montalvo and the National Civil Protection System (Sinaproc) to report on the effects of the quake while calling for calm. The instruction reflected an effort to keep information flowing without fueling fear.
For a country whose economy turns on the canal, the outcome could have been far worse. Emergency teams found the waterway sound, the airport cleared for traffic and no lives lost, a result that allowed Panama to begin its recovery from a violent tremor without the paralysis that often follows such events.
Author: Laura V. Mor
Source: Agencies
