An earthquake measuring a 7.7 magnitude shook the southwest coast of Panama on Friday, prompting tsunami warnings for several neighboring countries.
The earthquake hit around 1:56 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Two smaller quakes — a 5.5 magnitude quake in Bajo Corral and a 5.8 in El Cacao — shook moments later.
The U.S. Tsunami Center flagged tsunami warnings for Ecuador, Colombia, Nicaragua and Guatemala, as well as Panama shortly after the quake was detected.
The 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 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 okay, though we’re very scared,” Rosendo Domínguez, 60, who is from Herrera province, where the earthquake struck, 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.
Panama lies along the “Ring of Fire,” the line of seismic faults encircling the Pacific Ocean where most of the world’s earthquakes occur.
