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Tsunami alert after major earthquake rocks Panama / Photo: MARTIN BERNETTI - AFP
Tsunami alert after major earthquake rocks Panama
A magnitude-7.7 earthquake jolted Panama on Friday, setting off panic in the capital city and warnings of dangerous tsunami waves.
USGS said the quake was detected at 1756 GMT with an epicenter 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from the small town of Pitaloza Arriba in the south-center of Panama. It initially measured at magnitude 8.
The quake was registered at a shallow depth of 12 kilometers, meaning its impact was likely to be more severe.
It was felt across the country of around 4.5 million people, according to the USGS.
Several large aftershocks, one a magnitude-6 tremor, were recorded.
There were no reports yet of casualties but extensive damage was expected, particularly in the center of the Central American nation.
Many people were evacuated from buildings in Panama City, about 200 kilometers from the epicenter, AFP witnessed.
Tsunami waves up to three meters high could hit the Panama coastline in the coming hours, the US Tsunami Warning System said.
Earthquakes are rare in Panama and when they do occur usually strike in western Chiriqui province.
S.Roth--BlnAP
