Published on •Updated
A powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck Panama on Friday morning, shaking buildings as far as the capital and triggering evacuations, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).
The quake’s epicentre was located near the country’s southern tip, around 14 kilometres southwest of the remote community of Pitaloza Arriba, the USGS said.
The National Weather Service issued a tsunami warning on Friday for coastal areas of Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Guatemala.
Tremors were felt in Panama City, where buildings shook and residents rushed into the streets, awaiting updates on the quake’s impact.
Omar Smith of Panama’s National Civil Protection Service told local broadcaster Telemetro Reporta that damage was mainly reported in the central provinces of Veraguas, Herrera and Los Santos. He said no damage had been reported in the capital, home to hundreds of skyscrapers.
Several aftershocks followed, including two measuring magnitudes 5.8 and 5.5, according to the USGS.
Local media reported that the quake was also felt in parts of neighbouring Colombia. Panama’s Civil Protection agency said it was assessing possible damage in areas near the epicentre.
The National Weather Service issued a tsunami warning on Friday for coastal areas of Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Guatemala.
Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino urged calm following the earthquake, writing on X: “What happened should not be used to cause alarm or disorder.”
Panama is located along the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, a 40,000-kilometre stretch of volcanoes and fault lines where most of the world’s earthquakes occur.