Magnitude 7.6 earthquake strikes Panama, triggering tsunami alert

A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck southern Panama on Friday, shaking buildings in the capital and prompting evacuations and a tsunami alert for several Pacific coastal areas, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

The earthquake occurred at 12:56 p.m. local time (17:56 GMT) at a depth of 10 kilometers. Its epicenter was located approximately 10 kilometers southwest of Pitaloza Arriba, about 239 kilometers from Panama City.

Tremors were felt in Panama City, where people evacuated buildings and gathered outside. Panama’s civil protection authorities reported that damage was concentrated in the central provinces of Veraguas, Herrera, and Los Santos, while no damage had been reported in the capital’s high-rise buildings at the time of initial reports. Officials continued assessing the impact as aftershocks were reported.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center initially warned that potentially hazardous tsunami waves could affect coastal areas of Panama, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Mexico within three hours of the earthquake. National authorities were responsible for determining the appropriate alerts and protective measures for their respective coastlines.