Major earthquake hits Panama, injures at least 27

A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Panama, injuring at least 27 people. Buildings and roads collapsed, causing widespread damage and panic. The earthquake was felt across the country, with scenes of panic reported in Panama City, about 200 kilometers from the epicenter.

According to the National Civil Protection System, the shallow tremor affected a country of around 4.5 million people. The head of emergency operations, Rene Garcia, told AFP that there were no reports of fatalities so far. Some people, including Salomon Andion, reported experiencing strong and prolonged shaking, with heavy objects like furniture and kitchen items moving.

The President of Panama, Jose Raul Mulino, described the situation as a "major disaster", with some roads having "completely collapsed". The UAE has expressed its solidarity with Panama, offering support in the aftermath of the earthquake.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch Nigeria, Punch, Free Malaysia Today, Gulf News — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.