In brief
A 7.7‑magnitude earthquake struck Panama early this afternoon, shaking the country with forces felt by 4.6 million people. The shallow quake, occurring at a depth of 12km near Pitaloza Arriba, caused buildings to collapse in towns such as Penonomé and Soná and prompted widespread tsunami warnings for Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile and Mexico. Evacuations were carried out in Panama City, a distance of about 124 miles from the epicentre, and no immediate casualties have been reported. The disaster comes just days before a national drill to test emergency responses to major quakes and follows recent severe shocks in Colombia and Venezuela.
A massive magnitude 7.7 earthquake has hit Panama, damaging buildings and prompting a wide‑ranging tsunami warning for neighbouring countries.
About 4.6 million people felt moderate to severe shaking, the US Geological Survey says, with effects likely to be widespread.
The quake, which struck just before 15:00 local time (18:00 GMT), could trigger tsunamis in Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile and Mexico, according to the US Tsunami Warning System.
The epicentre lay roughly 6.2 miles (10km) from the small town of Pitaloza Arriba in south‑central Panama, with a series of shallow aftershocks following it.
Footage circulating online – yet unverified by the BBC – shows collapsed buildings in Penonomé and Soná.
At a depth of only 12km, the earthquake’s shallow focus made it especially potent at the surface.
Journalists and officials say the full extent of the damage is not yet clear and no casualties have been confirmed.
Evacuations were carried out from buildings in Panama City, about 200km (124 miles) from the epicentre, according to the AFP.
The quake comes just three days before Panama was scheduled to hold a national evacuation drill for a major earthquake.
It follows devastating quakes in Colombia and Venezuela earlier this year.
