An earthquake of magnitude 8.0 occurred just 7 minutes ago, 67 km southeast of Santiago, Panama, the United States Geological Survey reported.The quake struck at a moderately shallow depth of 33. km beneath the epicenter near Santiago, Santiago District, Provincia de Veraguas, Panama, around noon on Friday, October 9th, 2026, at 12:56 pm local time. The exact magnitude, epicenter, and depth of the quake might be revised within the next few hours or minutes as seismologists review data and refine their calculations, or as other agencies issue their reports.If the preliminary data about the magnitude and depth are correct, the quake was extremely dangerous. It has the potential to cause catastrophic impacts on people and infrastructure, probably involving severe and widespread damage, especially in areas near the epicenter. Towns or cities where the quake likely caused very strong ground shaking include VolcanoDiscovery will automatically update the magnitude and depth if they change and follow up if other significant news about the quake becomes available. If you’re in the area, please send us your experience through our reporting mechanism, either online or via our mobile app. This will help us provide more first-hand updates to anyone around the globe who wants to know more about this quake.Earthquake data: Date & time: Oct 9, 2026 12:56 pm (GMT -5) local time (9 Oct 2026 17:56 GMT)Magnitude: 8.0Hypocenter depth: 33.00 kmEpicenter coordinates: 7.54°N / 80.75°W (Provincia de Herrera, Panama)Primary data source: USGS