Football Ferns Safe After 7.7 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Panama

A 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Panama at 6.56am on Saturday, New Zealand time, according to the United States Geological Survey, leaving 4.6 million people experiencing moderate to severe shaking and prompting a nationwide disaster response. 1News reported that all members of the New Zealand Football Ferns squad in the country for a two-match series were safe and accounted for.

Tremors Shake Panama City and Damage Buildings Across the Isthmus

The initial tremor struck at a shallow depth of 12.6 kilometres, with its epicentre situated about 10 kilometres from the remote community of Pitaloza Arriba near Panama’s southern tip, the USGS reported. RNZ noted that the disaster triggered immediate panic in Panama City, where skyscrapers swayed and thousands of residents rushed into the streets. President Jose Raul Mulino declared a major disaster, stating that some roads near the epicentre had completely collapsed.

The Guardian reported that office workers and residents evacuated multi-storey buildings as heavy objects shook inside apartments. In Penonome, located 150 kilometres southwest of the capital, local reports indicated that part of a hotel collapsed and a church sustained serious damage. Electricity provider Naturgy reported power outages across six provinces, while more than 80 aftershocks, including a magnitude-6 tremor, rattled the region.

Tsunami Warnings Evaluated as Officials Rule Out Threat to New Zealand

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre warned that waves of up to 3 metres above tide levels were possible along the coast of Panama, with waves up to 1 metre possible in Ecuador. The National Emergency Management Agency in New Zealand quickly assessed the situation, announcing shortly after the quake that it was unlikely to have caused a tsunami affecting New Zealand shores. MFAT confirmed that 51 New Zealanders were registered as being in Panama, though officials had received no requests for assistance.

Transport Hubs and Infrastructure Resume Normal Operations

Despite initial safety closures and evacuations, critical infrastructure largely avoided long-term disruption. The Guardian reported that Tocumen International Airport in Panama City reopened following a temporary suspension of flights, while both the Panama Canal and the Cobre Panama copper mine maintained normal operations. Meanwhile, the Football Ferns maintained their preparations alongside match organisers while monitoring local advisories ahead of their scheduled fixtures.