Panama's president declared a major disaster on Friday after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck near Pitaloza Arriba in south-central Panama, damaging buildings and prompting tsunami alerts across the region. Deutsche Welle reported that flights were briefly suspended.
The US Geological Survey placed the epicentre about 10 kilometres from Pitaloza Arriba and said the quake struck at a shallow depth. The BBC said about 4.6 million people experienced moderate to severe shaking, while reports showed building damage in Penonomé and Soná and evacuations in Panama City. Deutsche Welle said a subsequent magnitude 6.6 quake followed a series of aftershocks.
Tsunami warnings were issued for nine countries, including Panama, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico and Peru; the Mirror reported they were later lifted. The BBC said no casualties had been reported, while the Daily Mail cited reports of people trapped in rubble.