A powerful 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck off the southern coast of Panama on Friday, triggering widespread tsunami warnings across Central and South America and prompting precautionary building evacuations in major cities.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) recorded the quake at a depth of 10 km near Pitaloza Arriba, initially estimating the tremor at magnitude 8.0 before revising the rating down to 7.6.
Following the shock, the US Tsunami Warning System issued alerts for potential hazardous tsunami waves within three hours along the Pacific coastlines of Panama, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Mexico.
A tsunami threat advisory was also issued for Hawaii, while Chile’s Navy Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service issued its own national tsunami alert.
The earthquake was felt strongly in Panama City and in San José, the capital of neighbouring Costa Rica, where television footage showed residents evacuating high-rise office blocks and gathering in open spaces.
Panamanian authorities reported no immediate casualties or major structural damage in the initial aftermath.
(With information from Reuters)
