Powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake hits Panama, damaging buildings

A massive magnitude 7.7 earthquake has hit Panama, damaging buildings and prompting a wide-ranging tsunami warning for neighbouring countries. About 4.6 million people felt moderate to severe shaking as a result of the quake, according to the US Geological Survey, which has said that the effects of the disaster were "likely to be widespread". The quake, which hit just before 15:00 local time (18:00 GMT), could trigger tsunamis in Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile and Mexico, according to the US Tsunami Warning System. The epicentre of the earthquake was about 6.2 miles (10km) from the small town of Pitaloza Arriba in south-central Panama, with a series of shallow aftershocks following it.