Powerful 8.0-magnitude earthquake strikes Panama, tsunami alert issued

A powerful earthquake struck near the southern coast of Panama on Friday evening. According to the US Geological Survey, the quake had a magnitude of 7.6 or 8.0, with the lower figure reported by multiple sources including RTE News and The Korea Times, and the higher by Ajel English. The earthquake was at a depth of 10km.

The quake was felt in Panama City, the capital of Panama, as well as in the capital of neighboring Costa Rica, according to Reuters witnesses as reported by Jerusalem Post and RTE News. Tremors were also felt in parts of neighboring Colombia, as per RTE News. People evacuated buildings in Panama City, with television footage showing residents gathering outside, visibly shaken.

The US Tsunami Warning System issued potential tsunami threats for several countries, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Peru, Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, Nicaragua, Colombia, and Ecuador, as reported by ABC News (US) and RTE News. Panama's Civil Protection was investigating possible damages in regions near where the earthquake took place, according to RTE News.

Brief written by urgent.news from Ajel English, Jerusalem Post, ABC News (US), RTE News, The Korea Times — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.