A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Panama on Friday afternoon, shaking the region for several seconds and prompting widespread evacuations.

The US Geological Survey recorded the tremor at 15:00 local time (18:00 GMT), with its epicentre located roughly 10 kilometres from the town of Pitaloza Arriba in south‑central Panama. Shallow depth of 12 kilometres amplified surface shaking, leading to moderate to severe tremors felt by an estimated 4.6 million people.

Footage posted online showed collapsed structures in Penonomé and Soná, including a cathedral whose side wall and spire gave way, and a hotel that nearly toppled. In Panama City, a maternity ward was evacuated as a precaution, and debris fell from rooftops in the capital, though damage there appeared limited to scattered fragments.

Residents described a frightening experience. Ricardo Brown, a 74‑year‑old living in the Las Minas neighbourhood of Herrera province, told Reuters that his home had cracked and that he and his partner feared further collapse. "We're scared," he said, noting that only the two of them were in the house.

Aftershocks continued to ripple through the area, complicating rescue and assessment efforts. Authorities have not yet released a full accounting of structural damage, but no fatalities have been reported.

Panama's President José Raúl Mulino announced that the entire government was mobilising to respond to the quake, urging citizens not to panic or spread disorder. Initial tsunami warnings for eleven neighbouring countries were later withdrawn after the US Tsunami Warning System confirmed no oceanic threat.

The Panama Canal, a critical conduit for global shipping, reported no disruption to its operations. The quake occurs just days before a scheduled national evacuation drill, an event that follows a series of severe earthquakes in Colombia and Venezuela earlier this year.

Emergency teams are now assessing the hardest‑hit zones, and officials say additional resources will be deployed as needed.