Powerful 7.7 and 6.6 magnitude earthquakes rock Panama
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Two powerful earthquakes measuring 7.7 and 6.6 magnitude struck Panama on Friday afternoon, collapsing buildings, cracking roadways, and prompting countrywide evacuations, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).
The initial tremor, which was felt as far away as neighboring Colombia, was centered about 10 kilometers (6 miles) southwest of the remote community of Pitaloza Arriba in the central province of Herrera at a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles).
The USGS initially reported the magnitude as 8 before revising it to 7.6 and ultimately to 7.7.
In Panama City, visibly shaken residents evacuated buildings to gather in open streets.
Seismologists at the University of Panama recorded more than 45 aftershocks, including several measuring magnitude 5.8, 5.5, and 5.2.
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino appealed for public calm via social media, stating that the event should not be used to cause panic or disorder.
National Civil Protection Service member, Omar Smith, confirmed that structural damage was concentrated in the central provinces of Veraguas, Herrera, and Los Santos, with no damage reported in the capital city.
Several injuries were reported, including a person struck by falling debris from a partially collapsed structure in Penonomé, approximately 93 miles (150 km) from Panama City.
Officials confirmed partial collapses and structural cracks at Penonomé's central cathedral, the governor's office building, and the Dos Continentes hotel.
Additionally, local outlets reported the collapse of the colonial-style Church of San Atanasio in Los Santos province -a designated National Historic Heritage Site since 1938- while large fissures split roads in Veraguas.
Despite the shaking, the Panama Canal Authority reported that shipping operations are proceeding normally along the global trade route while specialized technical teams inspect infrastructure for potential damage.
Following the seismic activity, the National Weather Service issued a tsunami warning for the Pacific coasts of Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Guatemala, cautioning that wave heights could reach 3 to 9 feet (1 to 3 meters) above tide level in parts of Panama. Precautionary alerts were also extended to El Salvador and Chile's Easter Island.
