Overview
- The U.S. Geological Survey reported a strong quake centered near Pitaloza Arriba in southern Panama and revised its initial magnitude from about 8.0 down to 7.6.
- The U.S. tsunami monitoring system issued warnings for several Pacific-coast countries after the quake and later withdrew its broad alert for Central American Pacific coasts while some countries kept local monitoring in place.
- Panama City and nearby towns saw scenes of panic and hundreds of people evacuating as authorities suspended international airport operations and closed schools as a precaution.
- Local broadcasters reported a roughly magnitude-6 aftershock and images of cracked buildings and falling debris, and firefighters and emergency teams are carrying out structural checks and damage assessments.
- Panama sits near active fault systems so seismic measurements and tsunami forecasts are often revised as more data arrive, and officials say residents should follow emergency guidance and await official updates.