Strong quake, aftershocks rattle Panama as officials activate response

A powerful earthquake and a series of strong aftershocks rattled Panama on Friday, sending residents into the streets, disrupting water supplies and briefly halting flights as the government mobilized emergency personnel and resources.

The University of Panama's Institute of Geosciences measured the initial quake at magnitude 7.2.

It struck at 12:56 p.m. at a depth of 4 kilometers.

By 5:30 p.m., more than 40 earthquakes had been recorded, including over a dozen with magnitudes above 5.0.

A quake at 3:25 p.m. had a magnitude of 6.9.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) initially reported the first quake as magnitude 8, then revised it to 7.6 and later to 7.7.

In Panama City, Xinhua correspondents saw crowds pour out of buildings and gather along streets and in open spaces.

Some people struggled to contain their emotions as they recalled the shaking, while others wept.

"Very, very strong.

Even the building was swaying," said Tina Smith, who gathered outside with her colleagues.

She said they were all safe.

Leonor Samudio, a local resident, said previous evacuation drills had helped staff at Caja de Ahorros, a Panamanian savings bank, respond to the emergency.

"We waited for the strong shaking to subside before starting to evacuate the building through the emergency stairs," she said.

"We're waiting for instructions.