High-Rises Rattle in Panama City, Tsunami Warning Sounded Across Central & South America
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A massive 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck off the southern coast of Panama on Friday, violently shaking multi-story residential towers, causing widespread structural panic, and prompting emergency tsunami warnings across several Central and South American coastlines. According to technical data registered by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the powerful undersea tremor occurred at an extremely shallow focal depth of approximately 10 kilometers, with its epicenter pinpointed nearly 10 kilometers southwest of Pitalosa Arriba.
Panic and Street Evacuations in Panama City and Southern Provinces
The violent shockwaves sent shock through urban centers, forcing thousands to flee structures into open avenues:
High-Rise Evacuations in the Capital: In Panama City, sustained ground motion caused commercial high-rises and apartments to sway, prompting residents and office workers to rush into the streets as emergency alarms echoed across downtown districts.
Severe Shaking in Herrera and Veraguas: In Herrera province, local resident Rosendo Dominguez (60) recounted how the sudden violent jolts knocked over kitchenware and furniture inside homes, leaving families frightened as a series of sharp aftershocks continued to rock the southern coastline.
Damage Focused in Three Regions: Omar Smith, Director of Panama's National Civil Protection Service (SINAPROC), appealed for public calm, stating that emergency disaster teams are assessing structural damage primarily concentrated across the provinces of Veraguas, Herrera, and Los Santos.
Tsunami Warning Sounded for Five Pacific Rim Nations
Due to the shallow depth and sheer magnitude of the undersea seismic event, meteorological authorities activated international tsunami alerts across the Pacific basin:
Multi-Nation Alert Corridor: The National Weather Service (NWS) and regional oceanographic watch centers issued tsunami warnings and advisories along the vulnerable coastlines of Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Guatemala.
Coastal Surveillance Active: Civil protection networks across the Pacific rim have advised maritime vessels and coastal settlements to monitor sea level changes and prepare for potential wave surges while disaster management agencies continue aerial and ground damage assessments.
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