A magnitude 7.7 earthquake has struck Panama, prompting tsunami warnings across nine countries and causing buildings to collapse. The quake, initially reported as magnitude 8 before being downgraded, was centred 12km west south west of Pitaloza Arriba at a shallow depth of 33km.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issued alerts for Panama, Mexico, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador. Tsunami waves around Panama could reach three metres, and warnings suggested waves could hit the country within three hours.
Evacuations and damage
People were evacuated from buildings in Panama City, including several on 12 de Octubre Avenue. Footage showed people fleeing into the streets, and an image shared on social media showed part of a collapsed building with rubble falling onto a car outside. Another video appeared to show people crowded around a collapsed building.
Water was seen spilling from a hotel rooftop pool during the quake, and damage was reported at a university building in Panama, where sections of a ceiling had fallen to the ground. A live broadcast at a Panama TV station captured the moment the tremor was felt, with a presenter describing a "strong tremor" and cutlery and glasses heard smashing in the background.
Witness accounts
Rosendo Dominguez, 60, from Herrera province where the earthquake struck, said: "We felt it very strongly. It knocked things over in the kitchen, but we're okay, though we're very scared. Everyone is outside, scared."
The earthquake occurred at approximately 12.56pm local time and has been felt widely across Central and South America. It remains unclear whether there have been any fatalities.
