A magnitude 7.6 earthquake shakes Panama, USGS reports

A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck Panama on Friday morning, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Buildings in the capital, Panama City, shook and residents evacuated into the streets. The quake originated 10 kilometers southwest of the remote community of Pitaloza Arriba, near the southern tip of Panama. The epicenter was located at a depth of 10 kilometers.

Residents in Herrera province, where the epicenter was located, reported visible shaking and people gathered outside to await news of the earthquake's impact. "We felt it very strongly. It knocked things over in the kitchen, but we’re okay, though we’re very scared," said Rosendo Domínguez, a resident from Herrera province. Aftershocks continued to shake the region shortly after the initial quake.

The National Weather Service issued a tsunami warning for the coasts of Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Guatemala. The National Civil Protection Service urged the public to remain calm. Damage was reportedly concentrated in the central provinces of Veraguas, Herrera, and Los Santos, with no reports of damage in Panama City.

Panama lies along the "Ring of Fire," a line of seismic faults encircling the Pacific Ocean where most earthquakes occur.