# Azuero Earthquake of 2026 (9 October 2026)

URL: https://allhistories.com/panama/timeline/2026-azuero-earthquake-of-2026
Location: Herrera and Los Santos Provinces
Themes: main-event

Panama lies at the junction of several tectonic plates and microplates, and the south of the Azuero Peninsula is crossed by active faults, but the country had suffered few destructive earthquakes in modern times, the most serious recent one being the 1991 Limón earthquake, which affected Bocas del Toro. Most of the population and the canal are located in areas of moderate seismic risk. At 12:56 local time on 9 October 2026 a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck at a shallow depth of about 13 kilometres in southern Herrera Province, on the Azuero–Sona fault, according to the US Geological Survey. The strongest shaking was felt in Tonosí, Los Santos, and the quake was felt strongly in Panama City, where buildings were evacuated. A magnitude 6.6 aftershock and dozens of smaller ones followed. Tsunami warnings were issued for Panama and neighbouring Pacific coasts, and about 300 people were evacuated from Isla de Cañas. One person died in Macaracas and at least 27 were injured; more than 4,000 homes were damaged, nearly 900 of them destroyed, as well as schools, health centres, churches and bridges, and the tower of a historic building collapsed. The earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in Panama's history. It prompted the closure of schools, a suspension of operations at Tocumen airport for safety checks, and debate on building standards in the interior provinces. At this point in the timeline (9 October 2026), the President of Panama was José Raúl Mulino (1 July 2024 – present).

## Why it matters
The 2026 earthquake was among the strongest in Panama's recorded history.

Ruler at the Time: [José Raúl Mulino](https://allhistories.com/panama/rulers/jose-raul-mulino)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — 2026 Panama earthquake](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Panama_earthquake)
- [Al Jazeera — Tsunami warnings across Latin America after 7.7 magnitude earthquake](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/9/tsunami-warnings-across-latin-america-after-7-7-magnitude-earthquake-hits)
- [CNN — Powerful earthquake shakes Panama](https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/09/americas/panama-earthquake-latam-intl)
- [The Tico Times — Panama earthquake aftershocks](https://ticotimes.net/2026/10/10/panama-earthquake-aftershocks-damage-recovery)
- [Wikipedia — Democracy And The Panamanian Canal (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama)