Five television presenters were forced to flee live on air as a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck southern Panama. The broadcasters of RPC Television were reporting from a restaurant when the quake hit, with cameras still rolling as everything around them began to shake violently.
Seated on barstools, one presenter grabbed onto the bar for balance while another stood up as the shaking intensified. Glasses could be heard falling off shelves and shattering, while light fittings swung violently and bottles and plants flew to the ground. The presenters quickly dropped their microphones and ran out of view, with one covering his head as falling objects hit.
Earthquake details and immediate response
According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the major quake hit southern Panama at a depth of 10km. Its epicentre was 6.2 miles from the small town of Pitaloza Arriba, near Panama's southern tip.
In response, Panama declared a state of emergency and a wide-ranging tsunami alert was issued. The USGS warned that the damage was "likely to be widespread." It was said that tsunamis could be triggered for Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, and Mexico.
Damage, power cuts and flight suspensions
Panamanian authorities confirmed that several buildings, including the St John Baptist Cathedral and a local church, were damaged, and around a dozen structures collapsed. According to the electricity provider Naturgy, power was out across six provinces, and flights were suspended at Tocumen International Airport.
The earthquake struck just around 3PM local time. In response, Panama's President José Raúl Mulino said his entire government was mobilising, adding: "What happened should not be used to cause alarm or disorder."
Aftershocks and broader context
Tsunami warnings were initially issued for 11 countries neighbouring Panama, including Mexico, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Peru and El Salvador, but they have since been lifted. Before that, the US Tsunami Warning System confirmed there was no threat.
It has been reported that the Panama Canal, a vital waterway linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, was unaffected by the earthquake. The earthquake comes just three days before Panama was scheduled to hold a national evacuation drill for dealing with a major earthquake. It also follows devastating earthquakes in Colombia and Venezuela earlier this year.
While there have been no deaths or serious injuries reported as a result of the quake, there were also 147 aftershocks, one of which had a magnitude of 6.6.
