Los Angeles County Fire search and rescue specialists are in Sona, Panama, after the magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck on October 9. The U.S. State Department activated the county’s international Urban Search and Rescue team to support Panamanian authorities.
U.S. Army video by Pfc. Carolyn Dodge via DVIDS (public domain), filmed in Sona, Veraguas, Panama, on October 11, 2026.
The team assessed damaged buildings, including Sona’s own collapsed fire station. The quake damaged more than 400 buildings, but no deaths have been confirmed. Relief work continues across Veraguas province.
Full coverage: The Panama earthquake, explained
