Powerful earthquake shakes Panama

By Michael Rios, CNN

(CNN) — A major earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.7 has struck Panama, according to the US Geological Survey.

Some casualties are possible and extensive damage is probable, the USGS said.

Footage verified by CNN shows several damaged buildings in Penonome, some 70 miles from the epicenter. One video shows a church with a partially collapsed steeple and another building with a crumbled facade.

Panama City’s public transit system has suspended service on two metro lines and evacuated passengers from some stations.

The Education Ministry has canceled classes nationwide for the rest of the day.

Local media report that Panama’s main international airport has been temporarily closed as a precaution.

Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino has called for calm and instructed the minister of government to provide information on the earthquake’s effects.

Several aftershocks have been reported near the epicenter.

The US Tsunami Warning System said tsunami waves reaching one to three meters are possible along some coasts of Panama.

Ecuador, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Peru could also see less intense waves.

This is the latest powerful earthquake to have struck Latin America this year. Over the summer, Venezuela was hit by two powerful earthquakes that killed more than 6,400 people, while Colombia suffered a tremor that left around 300 dead.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

The-CNN-Wire
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