There is no threat of a tsunami for New Zealand after a huge earthquake struck Panama this morning.
The 7.6-magnitude quake struck the Central American country shortly before 7am (NZT). The US Geological Survey said it struck at a depth of 10 kilometres.
The National Emergency Management Agency said the quake was unlikely to have created a tsunami that could hit New Zealand.
"Based on current information, the initial assessment is that the earthquake is unlikely to have caused a tsunami that will affect New Zealand," NEMA said.
1News has approached the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to determine if any New Zealanders are in the affected areas.
The quake was centred about 10 kilometres southwest of the remote community of Pitaloza Arriba, near Panama’s southern tip, the USGS said.
Tremors were felt in Panama City, where buildings shook, and people evacuated into the streets. 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, who is from Herrera province, where the earthquake struck, told The Associated Press by phone. “Everyone is outside, scared.”
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino called for calm on Friday, writing on X: “What happened should not be used to cause alarm or disorder.”
Aftershocks continued to shake the streets shortly after the quake. The National Weather Service issued a tsunami warning for the coasts of Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Guatemala.
Omar Smith of the National Civil Protection Service urged the public to remain calm. He told the Telemetro Reporta news channel that damage was concentrated in the central provinces of Veraguas, Herrera and Los Santos.
He said there were no reports of damage in the capital, which is known for its hundreds of skyscrapers.
Panama lies along the “Ring of Fire”, the line of seismic faults encircling the Pacific Ocean where most of the world’s earthquakes occur.
Local media reported that the quake was also felt in parts of neighbouring Colombia. Panama's Civil Protection said it was investigating possible damage in regions near where the earthquake took place.
- Additional reporting by AP
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