A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Panama on Friday afternoon (local time), causing widespread panic and infrastructural damage across the Central American nation, prompting President José Raúl Mulino to declare a major disaster.
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and Panama's National Civil Protection System, the quake occurred at 12:56 PM local time on Friday (1:00 AM Saturday, Bangladesh Time). The epicenter was located near the small town of Pitalejo Arriba in Herrera Province—approximately 200 kilometers from the capital, Panama City—at a shallow depth of 12.5 kilometers. Nearly 4.5 million citizens felt the severe one-minute tremor, which was followed by over 80 aftershocks, including one exceeding magnitude 6.0. Health Minister Fernando Boyd confirmed extensive road network collapses in Herrera, Coclé, and Los Santos provinces, leaving towns like Tonosí completely isolated. While Panama City’s international airport temporarily diverted flights, the Panama Canal Authority assured that maritime traffic through the crucial global trade route remains unaffected and fully operational.
— Daily Best News Desk • Fearless in the search for truth
Reported by International Desk • Edited by the Daily Best News desk. Send corrections to [email protected].
