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There was an atmosphere of great chaos and panic in the Central American country of Panama on Saturday morning, when a massive earthquake with a devastating intensity of 7.7 on the Richter scale shook the entire country. According to the US Geological Survey (USGS) and the local seismological center, the epicenter of the earthquake was recorded at a shallow depth of about 10 to 15 kilometers from the ground in the coastal region of the Pacific Ocean. Due to the shallow epicenter, the waves of the earthquake were extremely powerful, whose direct impact was felt in major provinces of the country including Panama City and the border areas of neighboring Costa Rica and Colombia. The tremors were so strong that multi-storey buildings, bridges and electric poles swayed like merry-go-rounds for several seconds, causing panicked people to run out of their homes, shopping malls and multi-storey corporate offices towards open roads and parks, screaming.
In the capital Panama City, known for its modern financial centers and hundreds of tall skyscrapers, emergency alarms were raised as soon as the quake struck. Lifts in residential and commercial towers stopped and people ran frantically down the stairs. According to eyewitnesses, the tremors were felt continuously for about 40 to 50 seconds, due to which deep cracks appeared in the walls of many old buildings, glass windows cracked and fell on the streets below and plaster broke and scattered. The wheels of vehicles moving on the roads suddenly stopped and there was a long traffic jam at the main intersections of the city. As a precautionary measure, the administration immediately stopped the city’s metro rail services and evacuated all the stations and started safety checking of the tracks.
The Panama Canal Authority, considered the most important lifeline of global trade, implemented extensive safety inspection protocols immediately after the earthquake. The Panama Canal, which is used by ships from around the world, has raised international concerns about the earthquake’s impact on its lock gates, concrete barrages and water control structures. However, after preliminary investigation, officials said that there is no major structural damage to the main hydraulic structure and concrete gates of the canal, but the entire engineering team is closely monitoring the water pressure and leakage at every nook and corner. The movement of ships in sensitive sections of the canal is being temporarily controlled at a controlled speed.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) issued a tsunami alert for coastal areas of the Pacific Ocean immediately after this 7.7 magnitude earthquake. The warning said that there is a possibility of dangerous waves of 1 to 3 meters high in the sea within a radius of 300 kilometers from the epicenter of the earthquake. In view of this, Panama’s National Civil Protection Service (SINAPROC) issued strict instructions to fishermen and local residents living in low-lying areas of the coastal provinces of Chiriquí, Veraguas and Los Santos to move to higher ground away from the beaches. Tourists from beach resorts and hotels have been evacuated to safe places while naval patrol boats are taking continuous readings of wave fluctuations in the sea.
The strong tremors of the earthquake led to massive blackouts in many parts of the country due to breaking of high-tension power lines and blasts in transformers. Power outages in Panama’s western provinces have disrupted hospitals, communications networks and water supply systems. Backup generators have been introduced in major hospitals to keep emergency services active. Landslides have been reported at several places in the country’s mountainous regions, blocking sections of the Pan-American Highway with debris and cutting off connectivity to remote rural settlements. Red Cross, fire department and security forces are involved in relief and rescue operations.
This entire geographical region of Panama and Central America lies within the infamous ‘Ring of Fire’ belt of the Pacific Ocean, where tectonic plates—specifically the Cocos Plate, the Nazca Plate, and the Caribbean Plate—collide. Due to this geological movement, earthquakes of high intensity are often recorded here. Seismologists have warned that the main shock of magnitude 7.7 could be followed by several strong aftershocks of magnitude 5.0 to 6.2 in the next 48 to 72 hours. The President of Panama has issued a message to the country, making a strong appeal to citizens to remain calm, avoid rumors and not to go inside damaged or cracked buildings again.