Powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake hits Panama, damaging buildings

What the report says

A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Panama, damaging buildings and prompting tsunami warnings for nearby countries, according to BBC World News. The quake hit shortly before 15:00 local time and was centered near Pitaloza Arriba in south-central Panama, with the US Geological Survey estimating that about 4.6 million people experienced moderate to severe shaking. The US Tsunami Warning System said the event could generate tsunamis in Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile and Mexico.

BBC reported that the earthquake was relatively shallow, at about 12 km deep, which can increase the chance of stronger surface impacts. Videos circulating online appeared to show collapsed structures in the towns of Penonomé and Soná, although the footage had not been verified by the BBC. The full scale of the damage and whether anyone was injured or killed were not yet clear at the time of reporting.

In Panama City, around 200 km away, many people were evacuated from buildings, including a maternity ward, as a precaution, Reuters cited via AFP. The earthquake is also notable because it occurred just days before Panama was due to hold a national earthquake evacuation drill. For regional authorities, the immediate concern is monitoring aftershocks and any tsunami risk across the Pacific coast.