Powerful earthquake hits Panama, triggers tsunami warnings

On Friday, a 7.6-magnitude (initially reported as 8.0) earthquake struck off Panama's southern coast near the remote community of Pitaloza Arriba, shaking buildings and prompting evacuations across the country. The quake’s epicenter was about 10 kilometers southwest of Pitaloza Arriba, at a depth of 10 km. Tremors were felt strongly in Panama City, with visibly shaken residents gathering outside as they waited for updates on potential damage. No immediate reports of significant damage emerged from Panama, but the US Tsunami Warning System issued warnings for coastal areas along parts of Panama, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, Mexico, and Hawaii due to potential hazardous tsunami waves within the next three hours.