At 12:56 local time on October 9, a 7.6 magnitude earthquake occurred in Panama. The earthquake felt strongly in the capital, Panama City, etc. After the earthquake occurred, the reporter contacted the Panama Canal Authority to learn how the operation of the canal and related facilities were affected by the earthquake. According to two official notices provided by the Authority, the earthquake and subsequent aftershocks did not affect the normal operation of the canal, and ship traffic remained normal. However, preliminary inspections revealed that four office buildings on the Pacific side of the canal were slightly damaged, and the steel structure of some elevated water tanks at the Monte Esperanza Water Plant in Colón Province was damaged. Technicians are evaluating maintenance plans. Currently, safety inspections of locks, dams, and other critical infrastructure are still ongoing. The Panama Canal Authority also stated that it will release relevant inspection results in the future.

At 12:56 local time on October 9, a 7.6 magnitude earthquake occurred in Panama. The earthquake felt strongly in the capital, Panama City, etc. After the earthquake occurred, the reporter contacted the Panama Canal Authority to learn how the operation of the canal and related facilities were affected by the earthquake. According to two official notices provided by the Authority, the earthquake and subsequent aftershocks did not affect the normal operation of the canal, and ship traffic remained normal. However, preliminary inspections revealed that four office buildings on the Pacific side of the canal were slightly damaged, and the steel structure of some elevated water tanks at the Monte Esperanza Water Plant in Colón Province was damaged. Technicians are evaluating maintenance plans. Currently, safety inspections of locks, dams and other critical infrastructure are still ongoing. The Panama Canal Authority also stated that it will release relevant inspection results in the future.