CALGARY — A powerful earthquake struck Panama on Friday, sending residents rushing outdoors as buildings shook and vehicles bounced from the force of the tremor. The earthquake was initially reported at magnitude 8.0, with shaking felt in the capital, Panama City, and surrounding regions.Dave Chidley, who is staying with family near Coronado, Panama, told the Western Standard the shaking was so intense that he initially believed a vehicle had struck their home. "We thought we got hit by a construction vehicle or a truck hit the side of our house," said Chidley, who only moved to Panama three weeks ago.. The retired photographer described watching cars bounce "like toys," steel reinforcing bars sway back and forth and construction workers rush outside as dogs barked throughout the neighbourhood.Chidley said his family experienced three additional tremors, including aftershocks that occurred during his interview with the Western Standard. The earthquake sent residents fleeing buildings in Panama City, while strong shaking was reported in Herrera province and tremors were felt as far away as Costa Rica and Colombia. Panama's civil protection authorities are assessing possible damage, while tsunami warnings have been issued for several Pacific coastal areas..Across Panama, the earthquake sent residents fleeing homes, offices and high-rise buildings, including in the capital, Panama City.According to the Associated Press, residents gathered outside as buildings swayed and people waited for information about possible damage.Omar Smith of Panama's National Civil Protection Service told local broadcaster Telemetro Reporta that damage was concentrated in the central provinces of Veraguas, Herrera and Los Santos.Initial assessments indicated no reported damage to the capital's skyscrapers, although authorities continued investigating conditions elsewhere.In Penonomé, Coclé province, Brazilian news outlet UOL reported damage to several structures, including the Cathedral of San Juan Bautista, a government building and Hotel Dos Continentes.The extent of that damage had not been independently verified.The earthquake was also felt beyond Panama's borders, with Reuters witnesses reporting shaking in San José, Costa Rica. Tremors were additionally reported in parts of Colombia.Despite the strength of the earthquake, there were no immediate confirmed reports of fatalities in the initial international coverage.Panama's Ministry of Education also suspended afternoon classes nationwide as a precaution, according to local reporting cited by Brazilian newspaper Folha de S.Paulo..The Panama Canal Authority reported that operations along the major international shipping route were continuing normally following the earthquake, according to Reuters reporting carried by Folha de S.Paulo.The canal connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and serves as one of the world's most important maritime trade corridors.Meanwhile, aftershocks continued throughout Panama.The University of Panama's Institute of Geosciences recorded at least 13 aftershocks in its early assessment, including one measuring magnitude 6.0, according to UOL.The institute initially assessed the main earthquake at magnitude 7.2, illustrating differences between preliminary measurements from regional and international seismic monitoring agencies.The USGS subsequently maintained a reviewed magnitude of 7.6.Panama lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region of significant tectonic activity where earthquakes and volcanic eruptions frequently occur..The earthquake prompted tsunami warnings and advisories across parts of the Pacific coastline of Central and South America.The US Tsunami Warning System identified potential threats along coastal areas of Panama, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Guatemala, among other countries.The warnings raised concerns about the possibility of dangerous waves reaching coastal communities following the powerful earthquake.British Columbia, despite also bordering the Pacific Ocean, is considerably farther from the earthquake's epicentre.The province uses information from the US National Tsunami Warning Center to determine whether tsunami watches, advisories or warnings are necessary for its coastline.A tsunami threat to British Columbia from Friday's Panama earthquake had not been established in the information independently verified for this report.The distinction is important because a tsunami warning issued for one section of the Pacific Ocean does not automatically mean coastal communities thousands of kilometres away face the same danger.Residents of British Columbia can monitor EmergencyInfoBC for official updates about coastal hazards....more to come
