A strong earthquake hits Panama... and tsunami warnings

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A strong earthquake measuring 7.6 degrees shook Panama on Friday, amid warnings of the possibility of generating devastating tsunami waves that could affect areas of the west coast of the United States and Canada.

The US Geological Survey reported that the earthquake occurred off the southern coast of Panama, and its magnitude reached 7.6 on the Richter scale, after previously determining its intensity as 8, before later changing its classification.

The American authority also indicated that the earthquake was detected at 17:56 GMT, and that its epicenter was located ten kilometers from the small town of Petalosa Arriba in central and southern Panama.

Video footage showed a state of panic among citizens in Panama following the earthquake, as a number of them rushed to leave their places and rush outside for fear of the repercussions of the earthquake, amid a state of confusion.

In addition, the US National Tsunami Warning Center issued a warning about the possibility of generating devastating tsunami waves that could affect the states of California, Oregon, and Washington, in addition to British Columbia and Alaska.

Note that Panama is located in a seismically active area where several tectonic plates meet, and has historically witnessed devastating earthquakes, including the earthquake in 1621, which caused severe damage to the ancient city of Panama, while active faults in the center of the country constitute a potential source of powerful earthquakes that threaten the capital and the Panama Canal.