A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck southern Panama on Friday afternoon, damaging buildings and collapsing roads, though the country appeared to escape widespread destruction.
By the numbers: The quake hit at 1:56pm ET at a depth of 12.6km, 12km west southwest of Pitaloza Arriba, per the USGS. More than 40 aftershocks followed, including ones measuring 6.6, 6.0 and 5.8.
- USGS estimated about 43,000 Panamanians lived in areas with at least severe exposure, and put possible economic losses at 1% to 10% of Panama’s GDP.
Zoom in: In Panama City, about 200km from the epicenter, office workers evacuated skyscrapers and video showed water spilling from a rooftop pool more than 20 storeys up. A bridge over the Panama canal shook violently and stayed upright.
- We are facing a major disaster, President Jose Raul Mulino said, adding that some roads had completely collapsed.
What they're saying: Juana Alveo, a 38 year old cashier in Penonome, told AFP it was horrible, like nothing they had ever experienced, and that her daughter was trapped in school.
Yes, but: The Panama canal and the Cobre Panama copper mine reported normal operations within hours, and Tocumen international airport lifted its suspension on flights.
The big picture: Strong earthquakes are rare in Panama, and Nestor Luque, director of the national geosciences institute, counted 40 seconds of vibrations in the capital. The country had a national evacuation drill scheduled for Monday.
- US secretary of state Marco Rubio wrote that he was closely monitoring reports and the US was ready to help if needed.
Why it matters: A quake this size beside a global shipping chokepoint is a supply chain question as much as a local one, and the canal kept running while Panama’s own losses could reach a tenth of annual output.
