In images: the severe destruction left by the powerful earthquake that shook Panama this Friday

Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Dozens of aftershocks have been recorded following Friday's earthquake. Author, NewsroomAuthor's title, BBC News MundoPublication date 10 October 2026, 13:46 GMTUpdated 20 minutes agoReading time: 3 minA magnitude 7.7 earthquake shook a wide area of Panama on Friday afternoon. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the quake occurred at 12:56 p.m., approximately 12 kilometers from Pitaloza Arriba, on Panama's Pacific coast. Images shared online appear to show collapsed buildings in the towns of Penonomé and Soná, near the epicenter and located about 156 kilometers south of the country's capital. In one of them, a man can be seen calling out to possible people trapped under the rubble of a collapsed building. No casualties have been reported so far. The verified images also show damage to one of the towers of a cathedral in Penonomé caused by the quake. Another video shows a hotel in the town that had almost completely collapsed. Ricardo Brown, a resident of the southern province of Herrera, told the Reuters news agency that the earthquake had damaged several homes in his neighborhood of Las Minas. Skip Most read and continue readingMost readEnd of Most read"We are afraid. Only two elderly people live here. The house has cracked and we fear it could collapse on top of us," said the 74-year-old man. Meanwhile, the president of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, said during a visit to the affected areas that "the disaster we are facing is great." And he added in a video posted on the social network X that "the most important thing here is to remain calm." Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Some buildings collapsed in the town of Penonomé due to the earthquake that occurred this Friday. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, The earthquake affected several religious temples around the country. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, The magnitude of the earthquake was 7.7 and its epicenter was in the center of the country. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, No deaths have been reported so far due to the quake. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Thousands of people had to leave the buildings where they worked because of the tremor. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, The government of Panama is carrying out an assessment of the damage that has occurred across the country. Download the new BBC World Service app. Choose BBC News Mundo and receive news alerts, documentaries and analysis, all in one place. Important: the new app is not available in the United Kingdom or the United States. You can also follow us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, X and on our WhatsApp channel. And don't forget to subscribe here to our newsletter to receive a special selection of our best content every Friday. Discover moreSkip Video and continueVideoEnd of VideoRelated content