Key takeaways:
- The magnitude 7.7 quake struck southwest of Pitaloza Arriba, near Panama’s southern tip.
- Tsunami warnings covered Panama and eight other countries; waves of about 3 to 9 feet were possible along Panama’s coast.
- Buildings shook in Panama City, and a civil protection official said damage was concentrated in Veraguas, Herrera and Los Santos.
A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck near Panama’s southern tip Friday, shaking buildings in the capital and prompting tsunami warnings for Panama and eight other countries. Residents fled into the streets as authorities checked for damage.
The U.S. Geological Survey recorded the quake at about 1:56 p.m. Eastern time, NBC News reported. The agency placed its center southwest of the remote community of Pitaloza Arriba. NBC News put it about 6 miles from the community and 6 miles deep, while CBS News reported distances of about 7 miles for both measurements, also citing the USGS.
Two smaller quakes followed moments later, NBC News reported: a magnitude 5.5 quake in Bajo Corral and a magnitude 5.8 quake in El Cacao.
Tsunami warnings were issued for Ecuador, Colombia, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Mexico, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Peru, as well as Panama, according to NBC News. CBS News reported that the U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said waves of about 3 to 9 feet were possible along Panama’s coast. Neither report said such waves had reached shore.
The shaking reached Panama City, more than 100 miles from the quake’s center, according to CBS News. Buildings shook, and people evacuated into the streets. Residents gathered outside while they waited for news about the earthquake’s impact.
“We felt it very strongly. It knocked things over in the kitchen, but we’re OK, though we’re very scared,” Rosendo Domínguez, 60, of Herrera province, told The Associated Press by phone. “Everyone is outside, scared.”
Omar Smith of Panama’s National Civil Protection Service said damage was concentrated in the central provinces of Veraguas, Herrera and Los Santos, NBC News reported. Panama’s civil protection authorities were monitoring reports of damage across the country, while CBS News said they were investigating possible damage near the quake’s center. The reports did not provide a damage total or casualty figure.
Local media reported shaking in parts of neighboring Colombia, according to CBS News. Panama lies along the Pacific Ocean’s “Ring of Fire,” a line of seismic faults where most of the world’s earthquakes occur, NBC News reported.
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