7.6-Magnitude Quake Off Panama Sparks Coastal Tsunami Alerts

NBC News

7.6-Magnitude Quake Off Panama Sparks Coastal Tsunami Alerts

A powerful earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale struck off the southern coast of Panama on Friday, prompting US authorities and several countries across the region to issue tsunami warnings. The alerts covered coastal areas of Central and South America, as well as parts of the western coastline of the United States and Canada.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the earthquake occurred at 17:56 GMT off Panama’s southern coast. Its magnitude was initially estimated at 8.0 before being revised down to 7.6. No immediate reports of casualties or material damage were recorded.

Video footage showed scenes of panic as residents rushed to evacuate buildings and other locations amid concerns about the earthquake’s impact and the possibility of dangerous tsunami waves.

In the aftermath of the earthquake, the US National Tsunami Warning Center issued alerts over the potential threat of tsunami waves along the coastlines of Panama, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador and Mexico in the hours following the event.

The warnings also extended to parts of the western coast of North America, including California, Oregon and Washington, as well as British Columbia and Alaska. Chile’s Navy Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service issued a similar warning.

Such alerts are issued because powerful earthquakes occurring beneath the sea or close to coastlines can displace the seabed, generating tsunami waves capable of travelling vast distances across the ocean and reaching coastal areas far from the epicentre. The potential severity of their impact depends on the nature of the seabed displacement, water depth and the topography of the affected coastline.

Panama lies in a seismically active region of Central America, where several tectonic plates meet, making the country vulnerable to earthquakes. Its location along the Pacific Ocean further highlights the importance of early-warning systems and close monitoring of sea conditions following major seismic events.

However, the issuance of tsunami warnings does not necessarily mean that a destructive tsunami will occur. Assessing the actual threat requires continuous monitoring of seismic activity and sea-level measurements, with alerts updated as further information becomes available.

Reports published on Friday confirmed the main details of the earthquake and the initial tsunami warnings, while noting that the estimated magnitude was revised following the preliminary assessment.


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