A magnitude-7.7 earthquake rocked Panama on Friday, unleashing panic in the high-rise capital city and causing buildings to collapse in the center of the country.
\n\nUSGS said the quake was detected at 1756 GMT with an epicenter 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the small town of Pitaloza Arriba in the south-center of Panama.
\n\nIt triggered a tsunami warning for Panama and warnings of smaller but dangerous waves along the coasts of other countries in Latin America and the south Pacific.
\n\nThe quake, registered at a shallow depth of 12 kilometers, was felt across the country of around 4.5 million people, according to the National Civil Protection System, and lasted for around a minute.
\n\nThe US Tsunami Warning System said that tsunami waves up to three meters high could hit the Panama coastline in the coming hours.
\n\nIn Panama City, about 200 kilometers from the epicenter, there were scenes of panic as people rushed to evacuate from skyscrapers, AFP witnessed.
\n\nThere were no reports yet of casualties but extensive damage was expected, particularly in the center of the Central American nation.
\n\n“I’m in shock right now and haven’t been able to contact my family,” Luis Poveda, a factory worker in the…
Original source: https://www.breitbart.com/latin-america/
