Powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake strikes southern Panama causing widespread damage

A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck southern Panama on Friday at 12:56 local time, according to Mercopress and the US Geological Survey. Mercopress reported that the epicenter was located on the Azuero peninsula in Herrera province, while Al Jazeera and the US Geological Survey placed the quake roughly 10 to 12 kilometres southwest of the remote community of Pitaloza Arriba. [1][3][4]

Panamanian authorities have not confirmed any casualties, Mercopress reported, but officials have not ruled out injuries or trapped individuals as inspections continue. Verified footage showed that one side of a cathedral and its spires collapsed in Penonom, while a local hotel almost completely collapsed, according to BBC News World. A resident in the Las Minas neighbourhood told Reuters that several homes were damaged in the southern Herrera province. [1][2]

The quake triggered tsunami warnings across Central and South America. The US National Weather Service issued tsunami warnings for Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Guatemala, Al Jazeera reported, while Chile's naval Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service also issued an alert. The Rio Times and The Independent reported that tsunami warnings reached nine countries in total. [3][5][9]

Despite the severe shaking and several large aftershocks reported across the region by BBC News World and The New York Times, key infrastructure remained functional. The Rio Times reported that the Panama Canal continued normal operations following the earthquake. [2][5][10]