A powerful 7.6 magnitude earthquake has struck Panama, triggering tsunami warnings along the west coast of Central and South America, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). The quake occurred along the southern coast of the country, centered about 14 km (9 miles) south-west of the remote community of Pitaloza Arriba.

Details of the Earthquake

The earthquake struck just before 1 PM local time near the southern town of Tonosí, as reported by the Institute of Geosciences of the University of Panama. Following the initial quake, a second 6.0 magnitude earthquake occurred shortly after at 1:22 PM.