A 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Panama on Friday, according to the US Geological Survey, sparking warnings about tsunamis off its coast.The quake had a depth of 12.6km and occurred in Herrera Province, roughly 200km to the south-west of the Panama Canal, the USGS said.The USGS initially registered an 8.0 magnitude before revising it. Panama’s geological institute reported the quake as a 7.2 magnitude.Some buildings were reported damaged but the critical Panama Canal was not affected, nor was the passage of ships through the trade waterway.Flights were suspended at Tocumen International airport, a major regional hub.Local newspaper La Prensa said that people across different regions evacuated buildings, businesses, schools and homes following the earthquake.In Panama, where earthquakes of this magnitude are rare, television images showed elderly residents reduced to tears in the streets as a series of weaker aftershocks rattled the country.“We’re scared. It’s just the two of us old folks here. The house has cracked, and we’re afraid it could fall on us,” said Ricardo Brown, speaking to Reuters by phone from the Las Minas area in Herrera province in southern Panama, where he noted the quake damaged a number of homes.Shaking was also felt as far as San Jose, the capital of neighbouring Costa Rica, according to a Reuters witness.Omar Smith, who heads Panama's civil protectio...
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