Twin earthquakes rock Panama, collapsing buildings and forcing evacuations

Two powerful earthquakes and dozens of aftershocks roiled southern Panama on Friday afternoon, collapsing buildings near the epicenter and prompting evacuations across the country.

The larger quake struck at a magnitude of 7.7, centered about 10 kilometers southwest of the remote community of Pitaloza Arriba in the central province of Herrera, at a depth of 10 kilometers, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The USGS initially reported it as magnitude 8, then revised the reading twice before settling on 7.7. It was followed by a magnitude 6.6 quake and a series of aftershocks, some as strong as 5.8, felt as far away as neighboring Colombia. Seismologists at the University of Panama recorded more than 45 aftershocks.

Images from the region showed crumbling buildings and deep fissures slicing through roads. Damage was concentrated in the central provinces. In Panama City, the capital, visibly shaken residents gathered outside as they waited for news of the quake's impact.

"We felt it very strongly. It knocked things over in the kitchen, but we're okay, though we're very scared," Rosendo Domínguez, 60, a Herrera province resident, told the Associated Press by phone. "Everyone is outside, scared."

Despite the strength of the successive quakes, Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino said authorities had not documented anyone killed as of Friday evening, though he cautioned that could change in the coming hours or days. "Nobody was ready, and no one is ever ready for this type of disaster," Mulino said, after calling for calm earlier in the day.

Tsunami warnings were issued for Panama and Colombia and later lifted after monitoring agencies assessed the threat. Tocumen International Airport briefly suspended operations as a precaution, while the Panama Canal continued to function. Emergency services were still surveying buildings and public infrastructure on Friday night, and authorities urged residents to avoid structures damaged by the quakes.