DOMINANT ANGLE
Mexico City is measuring the Panamanian earthquake in terms of the tsunami alert that included its coast and the protection of its nationals, more than the damage on the ground.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
The USGS initially announced 8.0 before revising to 7.6 and then 7.7, at a depth of 10 km; the Panamanian institute reported 7.2 (El Financiero, Vanguardia).
- 02
The SRE reports no Mexicans affected and publishes the embassy's emergency number, 6705-6215 (Vanguardia, El Financiero).
- 03
The Geosciences Institute counts about 107 aftershocks; civil protection reports at least two injured and one person rescued from the rubble of a church (El Siglo de Torreón).
ANALYSIS
Mexico, October 10, 2026. In the Mexican press, the earthquake on Friday, October 9, is first and foremost a matter of measures and alerts. El Financiero recalls that the USGS had announced a magnitude of 8.0 before revising it to 7.6, then to 7.7, with a depth of 10 kilometers. Vanguardia notes that the Geosciences Institute of the University of Panama had reported 7.2, a figure also mentioned in Reforma's reference to the Centenario bridge. The epicenter is located near either Tonosí or Pitaloza Arriba, approximately 239 kilometers from the capital. El Financiero specifies that the tremor occurred at 12:56 local time, followed by a 6.9 magnitude aftershock revised to 6.6.
The second thread is the tsunami, as Mexico was among the affected countries. Vanguardia indicates that the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center had mentioned possible "dangerous waves" from Costa Rica to Mexico, via Ecuador, Peru, and Guatemala. El Informador details the alerts from El Salvador, with an estimated arrival time of 14:37, and from Chile, which placed Easter Island on precautionary alert. According to Vanguardia, the center later deemed the risk to have passed approximately one hour later.
The third thread is consular. The SRE expressed its solidarity with the Panamanian people and government and stated that no Mexicans were affected at this stage. It communicated the emergency number of the embassy, 6705-6215, which was reported by El Financiero and Vanguardia.
The damage is treated more briefly, mainly in the dispatches. El Norte, citing AFP, reports that President José Raúl Mulino speaks of a "great disaster," with buildings collapsed and roads cut off, without any reported victims. El Siglo de Torreón cites the Geosciences Institute, which counts approximately 107 aftershocks, as well as the civil protection agency: at least two injured and one person found alive under the rubble of a church. The newspaper also notes that the tremor was felt throughout the country.
The human story is told through anecdotes: El Financiero dedicates an article to the sports presenters of the program A La Candela, who left the set in Santiago de Veraguas during a live broadcast. The newspaper concludes by recalling that major earthquakes have already struck Latin America in recent months, with Venezuela mentioned.
SOURCES (5)
- El FinancieroMEDIUM
- El InformadorMEDIUM
- El Siglo de TorreónMEDIUM
- El NorteMEDIUM
- Vanguardia MXMEDIUM
