Strong Earthquake Rattles Panama’s Pacific Coast, No Immediate Damage Reported

A major earthquake has hit the Pacific coast of Panama on Monday, shaking parts of the western region with no immediate victims or damage, as per local authorities.

The U.S. Geological Survey said that the quake was registered a preliminary magnitude of 6.2 and emerged midday. The epicenter was located some 130 miles (210 kilometers) south of Punta Burica, near Panama’s border with Costa Rica, at a depth of some 10 kilometers (6 miles).

Residents in Chiriquí province felt the tremor, which triggered an alarm across the seismically active region. However, officials from Panama’s civil protection agency said that no major incidents had been reported, and there was no tsunami threat due to the quake.

“We felt the ground move, but thankfully there were no injuries or visible damage,” one resident of David, the provincial capital of Chiriquí, told local media. “It was a strong jolt, but it passed quickly.”

The area lies along a tectonically active zone and has requent seismic activity.

Local authorities are monitoring the situation in cooperation with geological experts.

With input from The AP News.