A powerful 7.7‑strength earthquake struck Panama early Thursday afternoon, shaking the nation and leaving several buildings damaged.
The tremor, which struck at a depth of 12 km near the town of Pitaloza Arriba, was felt by an estimated 4.6 million people, the US Geological Survey said. What makes the quake especially dangerous is its shallow focus, which can send stronger ground motion to the surface.
Alongside the shaking, the US Tsunami Warning System issued alerts for Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile and Mexico, warning coastal communities of possible waves. The system warned that tsunami waves could reach heights up to a few meters, prompting local authorities to issue evacuation orders for beach towns and low‑lying areas.
Video footage shared on social media shows collapsed buildings in the Panamanian towns of Penonomé and Soná. While the full extent of damage remains unclear, local officials have evacuated hundreds of people from public buildings in Panama City and called for emergency response teams to assist in assessment and rescue operations.
The quake comes just three days before Panama’s scheduled national earthquake drill, a test of the country’s readiness for large‑scale seismic events. The crash also follows a string of devastating quakes in neighboring Colombia and Venezuela earlier in the year, underscoring the need for robust preparedness measures across the region.
Authorities are monitoring aftershocks that have already rattled the area and are assessing structural damage as they work to ensure public safety. Full casualty reports are pending, and emergency workers have urged residents to check for injuries in homes and buildings that may have been compromised.
