A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck southern Panama on Friday, prompting tsunami warnings across multiple countries in Central and South America. The US National Weather Service issued alerts for Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Guatemala following the seismic event. Additionally, Chile’s naval Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service released its own tsunami warning.
The US Geological Survey reported that the earthquake was centered approximately 10 kilometers, or 6 miles, southwest of the remote Pacific coast community of Pitaloza Arriba. Tremors were felt clearly in Panama City, where buildings shook and residents fled into the streets.
Locals in the Herrera province, where the epicenter was located, described a frightening experience as the tremors knocked objects off shelves and forced communities outdoors. The region has experienced several destructive earthquakes throughout the year, including twin quakes in Venezuela in June that caused widespread devastation and a major earthquake in Colombia in August that resulted in hundreds of fatalities.