A powerful earthquake struck southern Panama on Friday, 9 October, damaging buildings and prompting people to leave homes and workplaces. Reuters reporting published on 10 October described power interruptions, disruption to flights and a sequence of aftershocks.
Reports citing the US Geological Survey put the main earthquake’s magnitude at 7.7 after earlier estimates were revised. Associated Press also reported a strong subsequent quake and evacuations. The changing estimates underline the provisional nature of information released immediately after a major earthquake.
The morning coverage focused on the response and early damage assessments. This brief does not give a final casualty count or imply that every affected community had been assessed. It is an update on a 9 October local-time event, rather than a claim that the main earthquake occurred on 10 October.