A 7.7-magnitude earthquake shook the central coast of Panama on Friday, prompting tsunami warnings for several neighboring countries.
The earthquake hit around 1:56 p.m. ET, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Around three hours later, a second powerful earthquake measuring at 6.6 magnitude, struck Panama after a series of aftershocks, which registered magnitudes between 4.8 and 5.8, rippled across the southern tip of the country.
Seismologists at the University of Panama recorded more than 45 aftershocks, though many were too weak to be felt.
The U.S. Tsunami Center flagged tsunami warnings for Ecuador, Colombia, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Mexico, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Peru, as well as Panama, shortly after the quake.
The initial earthquake was centered about 6 miles southwest of the remote community of Pitaloza Arriba, near Panama’s southern tip, the USGS said. It struck at a depth of 6 miles.
Tremors were also felt in the capital, Panama City, where buildings shook and people evacuated into the streets. The city is known for its tall skyscrapers.
Visibly shaken residents gathered outside as they waited for news of the quake’s impact.
“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, told The Associated Press by phone. “Everyone is outside, scared.”
Omar Smith of the National Civil Protection Service said the damage was concentrated in the central provinces of Veraguas, Herrera and Los Santos.
Smith said several injuries have been reported, including one person struck by debris from a partially collapsed structure in the city of Penonomé. He confirmed a partial collapse and cracks at the cathedral in the district’s main square and the Dos Continentes hotel.
No fatalities were immediately reported, but Malitzie Rivera, deputy director of Panama Civil Protection said injured people “have been transferred to educational centers, health centers, and hospital centers.”
The province of Coclé said the governor’s palace there suffered significant structural damage, but that staff members were safely evacuated. The local government also urged community members to remain calm in the quake’s aftermath.
Video aired by local news outlets showed a Catholic cathedral collapsing and part of a hotel’s facade falling onto a car in the city of Penonomé, in the central province of Coclé.
Social media videos show collapsed buildings near the site of the original quake and the aftershocks, including a hotel reduced to rubble in the tourist-friendly Playa Venao.
Panama’s National System for Civil Protection said it is monitoring for further reports of damage throughout the country.
Panama lies along the “Ring of Fire,” the line of seismic faults encircling the Pacific Ocean where most of the world’s earthquakes occur.
Nearby countries sent messages of support Friday afternoon. Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella, whose country was recently hit by earthquakes, expressed his solidarity with the Panamanian people and their government during what he called “difficult times.”
“Panama is not alone! You can count on Colombia’s support and our full willingness to provide whatever assistance is needed,” he wrote on X.
The U.S. Embassy in Panama said it was “closely monitoring” the aftermath of the quake and accounting for the welfare of its citizens in Panama, a well-known retirement destination for Americans.
