M5.8 Earthquake: 1 km S of El Cacao, Panama

Updated 09:05 UTC · 29 Oct 2026

A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck 1 km S of El Cacao, Panama at 18:37 UTC on 9 Oct 2026, at a depth of 10 km, reported by USGS. USGS PAGER issued a yellow alert: some damage and deaths are possible. USGS did not set a tsunami flag for this quake. So far 45 aftershocks of M2.5+ have been recorded within 50 km, the largest a M6.0. A larger M6.0 quake followed on 10 Oct 2026, so this one was a foreshock.

M5.8

Magnitude (USGS)

10 km

Depth

shallow

YELLOW

USGS PAGER impact alert

estimated impact

Aftershocks M2.5+ so far

within 50 km

[ fig. 1 ] M5.8 EPICENTRE, AFTERSHOCKS AND PAST QUAKESThis quakeAftershock M5+AftershockPast M6+

USGS · updated 09:05 UTC 2026-10-29Tap a point for details · pinch or ctrl + scroll to zoomTrack this live in the app ›

Nearest places

El Cacao, Los Santos, Panama1 km from the epicentre · quake was SSE of here · population 2611 KM
Las Tablas, Los Santos, Panama38 km from the epicentre · quake was SSW of here · population 8,93938 KM
San Juan Bautista, Herrera, Panama58 km from the epicentre · quake was S of here · population 11,79858 KM
Monagrillo, Herrera, Panama60 km from the epicentre · quake was S of here · population 10,82160 KM
Pocrí, Coclé, Panama92 km from the epicentre · quake was S of here · population 12,30492 KM
Panama City, Panama198 km from the epicentre · quake was SSW of here · population 408,000198 KM
San Miguelito, Panama206 km from the epicentre · quake was SSW of here · population 322,000206 KM
Juan Diaz, Panama207 km from the epicentre · quake was SSW of here · population 101,000207 KM
Quibdo, Colombia457 km from the epicentre · quake was WNW of here · population 129,000457 KM

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Strongest aftershocks so far

Key context

Tectonic setting

Panama block. Panama sits on a small block of crust squeezed between the Caribbean, Cocos and Nazca plates and South America. The Panama Fracture Zone to the south and thrust belts on both sides of the isthmus carry most of the motion, so strong quakes are less frequent than in Costa Rica or Colombia but do occur.

At 10 km it was a very shallow quake: shallow quakes shake the ground above them hardest, so local damage depends on how close towns are.

Shaking and impact

USGS PAGER estimates the impact from the shaking and the number of people exposed. For this quake it issued a yellow alert: some damage and deaths are possible (fatality alert: green, economic loss alert: yellow). PAGER is an early estimate and can change as reports come in.

The USGS ShakeMap estimates the strongest shaking at intensity VII on the Modified Mercalli scale (very strong).

12 people sent a "Did You Feel It?" report to USGS, with the strongest reported intensity VIII (severe).

Estimated shaking in nearby towns, from USGS PAGER.
Town	Population	Estimated intensity
Aguadulce	51,668	IV (light)
Chitre	46,191	IV (light)
Santiago	45,955	IV (light)
Las Tablas	11,358	V (moderate)
Guarare	9,255	V (moderate)
Ocu	7,006	IV (light)
Nata	6,003	IV (light)
Parita	3,723	IV (light)

Aftershocks

This page counts quakes of M2.5 or more within 50 km after the main shock, from the USGS catalog (last checked 09:05 UTC, 29 Oct 2026): 45 aftershocks so far.

Aftershocks are normal after a quake of this size. They usually become less frequent over days and weeks, but a strong aftershock can still happen, and in a few sequences a later quake is larger. No one can predict their exact time or size; follow the official agency for your area.

Earthquake history within 250 km

Since 1976, USGS lists 96 quakes of M5 or more within 250 km of this epicentre, about 1.9 a year. Since 1900 the same circle had 70 quakes of M5.8 or larger.

Largest earlier quakes within 250 km, USGS catalog since 1900 (M6+).
Magnitude	Place (USGS)	Date	Depth
M7.7	12 km WSW of Pitaloza Arriba, Panama	2026-10-09	13 km
M7.5	44 km ESE of Burica, Panama	1934-07-18	30 km
M7.2	45 km SW of Quebrada de Piedra, Panama	1904-01-20	10 km
M7.0	56 km SSE of Cambutal, Panama	1943-05-02	20 km
M6.8	south of Panama	1934-07-18	25 km
M6.8	78 km S of Boca Chica, Panama	1962-09-18	30 km
M6.8	20 km SSE of Guarumal, Panama	1934-07-21	25 km
M6.7	39 km WSW of Jaqué, Panama	1976-07-11	22 km

Official information

EMSC (European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre)
USGS event page for this quake (ShakeMap, PAGER, felt reports)
tsunami.gov for US tsunami bulletins

Data status

USGS review status: reviewed. Magnitude type: mb. USGS last updated this event on 13 Oct 2026 at 02:34 UTC. Magnitude, depth and location can still be revised; this page keeps the same address if they change.

Questions and answers

How strong was the earthquake near El Cacao, Panama?

USGS measured it at magnitude 5.8 (mb), 10 km deep. The strongest estimated shaking was intensity VII (very strong). Quakes of M5 to 5.9 are classed as moderate.

Was there a tsunami?

USGS did not set a tsunami flag for this quake. If you are on a coast and feel strong or long shaking, move to high ground anyway, and follow local officials.

Was the earthquake felt?

Yes. 12 people reported it to USGS "Did You Feel It?", with reports up to intensity VIII.

Will there be more aftershocks?

Aftershocks are likely to continue for days to weeks, becoming less frequent over time. So far 45 aftershocks of M2.5+ have been listed. Most sequences do not produce a larger quake, but some do. No one can predict the time or size of the next one; follow EMSC (European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre).

What should I do after a strong earthquake?

Expect aftershocks: Drop, Cover and Hold On when shaking starts again. Check for injuries and damage, stay out of damaged buildings, and use text messages instead of calls so emergency lines stay free. On a coast, move to high ground after strong shaking. Follow your local officials.

Related live pages

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Sources

USGS event page: magnitude, location, ShakeMap, PAGER and Did You Feel It? data for this event. Public domain. Credit: U.S. Geological Survey.
USGS ComCat (FDSN event web service): the USGS earthquake catalog, used for the 30-year counts, history and aftershocks. Public domain. Credit: U.S. Geological Survey.
USGS Geoserve: nearest places to the epicentre.
GeoNames: large-city coordinates, CC BY 4.0.

Page built 09:05 UTC, 2026-10-29. Full list: data sources and method.