Strong aftershocks follow 7.7 Panama earthquake

A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck near Panama’s southern tip on Friday morning, shaking buildings more than 100 miles away in the capital and prompting evacuations, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. A second powerful 6.6 magnitude earthquake struck the country later in the day following a series of aftershocks.

Damage was extensive near the epicenter of Friday’s 7.7 magnitude earthquake in southwestern Panama.

The quake was centered about 7 miles southwest of the remote community of Pitaloza Arriba and struck at a depth of about 7 miles, the USGS said. The 6.6 magnitude quake came about two and a half hours later, with its epicenter about 8 miles west of Río Grande on Panama’s Pacific coast and a depth of about 6 miles.

Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino said authorities had not documented anyone killed or injured as of Friday evening, though he cautioned that could change in the coming hours or days.

“Nobody was ready, and no one is ever ready for this type of disaster,” Mulino said.

The U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center had initially warned about the possibility of tsunami waves hitting Panama’s coast, but later said the threat had passed.

Tremors were felt in Panama City, where buildings shook and people evacuated into the streets. Visibly shaken residents gathered outside as they waited for news.

“We felt it very strongly. It knocked things over in the kitchen, but we’re OK, though we’re very scared,” Rosendo Domínguez, 60, who is from Herrera province, where the earthquake struck, told The Associated Press by phone. “Everyone is outside, scared.”

Multiple aftershocks continued to rattle Panama, including several measuring magnitude 5.8, 5.5 and 5.2. Seismologists at the University of Panama recorded more than 45 aftershocks, though many were too weak to be felt.
mages of crumbling buildings and deep fissures slicing through roads added to fears across a region battered by a series of devastating earthquakes in recent months.

Two back-to-back 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes roiled Venezuela’s La Guaira state in June, killing more than 6,500 people and leaving 17,000 homeless. In August, a 7.4 magnitude earthquake in Colombia killed at least 289 people.

Mulino called for calm earlier Friday, writing on social media: “What happened should not be used to cause alarm or disorder.”

Omar Smith of the National Civil Protection Service said on the Telemetro Reporta news channel that damage was concentrated in the central provinces of Veraguas, Herrera and Los Santos. He said there were no reports of damage in the capital, which is known for its skyscrapers.
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Credit: CBS News