A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck southern Panama on Friday, damaging buildings and sending thousands of people into the streets, though the country appeared to have avoided widespread destruction or deaths.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the quake occurred at a depth of 12.6km (7.8 miles), with its epicentre in a sparsely populated area roughly 200km (124 miles) from the capital, Panama City. Tremors lasted about a minute.
Panama City saw scenes of panic as occupants fled the city’s landmark skyscrapers.
Salomon Andion, 46, told Agence France-Presse that he was frightened by the intensity and duration of the shaking after leaving his 15-storey building. “I was scared because the shaking was very strong and prolonged. Heavy objects like dressers, the bed, and all the kitchen items were shaking,” he said.
A video widely circulated on social media showed water spilling from the rooftop pool of a building more than 20 storeys tall. Another clip showed a bridge over the Panama Canal shaking violently while remaining standing as vehicles crossed it.
President Jose Raul Mulino said some roads had “completely collapsed” and declared, “We are facing a major disaster.”
Juana Alveo, a 38-year-old cashier in the central Cocle province city of Penonome, described the experience as “horrible, like nothing we ever experienced,” and said her daughter had been trapped at school.
More than 40 aftershocks struck the isthmus nation in the hours that followed, yet the Panama Canal and the Cobre Panama copper mine both reported normal operations, and Tocumen international airport ended its suspension of flights.
Office workers in the upmarket downtown business district of Panama City faced traffic gridlock as they tried to reach home. Juan Sanchez, a 37-year-old economy ministry employee, waited for a bus he doubted would arrive. “They evacuated all of these buildings. Everyone is outside. Now the problem is, how do we get home?” he said.
A USGS exposure report estimated that about 43,000 Panamanians live in areas that faced at least severe shaking from the quake.
Nestor Luque, director of Panama’s national geosciences institute, said he measured 40 seconds of vibrations in Panama City, though other areas may have experienced longer tremors.
Strong earthquakes are unusual in Panama, and some elderly residents were in tears as they left buildings for the streets.
The USGS estimated that economic losses could reach between 1% and 10% of Panama’s gross domestic product. Electricity provider Naturgy reported outages across six provinces.
Panama had been scheduled to hold a national evacuation drill on Monday to test its emergency response.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio said on social media that he was “closely monitoring reports” of the earthquake and that the United States stood ready to assist if required.
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