Strong Magnitude 5.5 Earthquake in Chiriqui, Panama

A shallow magnitude 5.5 earthquake was reported early morning near David, Chiriqui, Panama.  According to The Colombian Geological Service (SGC), the quake hit on Monday, July 8th, 2024, at 4:54 am local time at a shallow depth of 10 km.  

Shallow earthquakes are felt more strongly than deeper ones as they are closer to the surface.  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 report.  A second report was later issued by the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), which listed it as a magnitude 5.5 earthquake as well.  A third agency, the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), reported the same quake at magnitude 5.6. 

Based on the preliminary seismic data, the quake should have been widely felt by almost everyone in the area of the epicenter.  It might have caused light to moderate damage.  Moderate shaking probably occurred in La Estrella (pop. 890) located 1 km from the epicenter, Siogui Abajo (pop. 2,700) 4 km away, Santa Marta (pop. 2,000) 4 km away, Concepcion (pop. 17,700) 5 km away, Bugaba (pop. 3,300) 6 km away, and San Pablo Viejo Abajo (pop. 6,000) 19 km away.  In David (pop. 82,000) located 28 km from the epicenter, and Pedregal (pop. 17,400) 30 km away, the quake should have been felt as light shaking. 

VolcanoDiscovery will automatically update magnitude and depth if these change and follow up if other significant news about the quake become available.  If you’re in the area, please send them your experience through their reporting mechanism, either online or via our mobile app.  This will help them provide more first-hand updates to anyone around the globe who wants to know more about this quake.