Updated

A major magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck 12 km WSW of Pitaloza Arriba, Panama, on October 14-15, 2026, according to the USGS. It was followed by a series of strong aftershocks in the same region, including magnitude 6.6, 6.1, 6.0 and 5.8 quakes near Río Grande and El Cacao, Panama, indicating significant ongoing seismic activity in the area. No casualty or damage figures were reported in the available alerts, but an earthquake of this magnitude has the potential for serious impact on buildings, infrastructure and communities near the epicenter, and authorities are likely monitoring for tsunami risk and structural damage given the shallow, powerful nature of the main shock.