Twin 7.7 and 6.6 earthquakes rock Panama; evacuations, no deaths confirmed
Two powerful earthquakes — magnitudes 7.7 and 6.6 — roiled southern Panama on Friday afternoon, collapsing buildings near the epicentre and sending frightened residents into the streets across the country.
The first quake was centred about 10 km southwest of the remote community of Pitaloza Arriba in Herrera province at a depth of 10 km, the USGS said, after revising its estimate from an initial 8.0. Tremors were felt as far away as neighbouring Colombia, and seismologists at the University of Panama recorded more than 45 aftershocks.
President José Raúl Mulino said authorities had not documented any deaths as of Friday evening but cautioned that could change as assessments continued. A tsunami warning issued for the coasts of Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Guatemala has since passed.
