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.

Footage shared online, which has not been verified by the BBC, appears to show collapsed buildings in the towns of Penonomé and Soná.

The quake was registered as occurring at a depth of just 12km. The shallower the earthquake, the more likely it is to have more severe effects on the surface.

However, the full extent of the damage it has caused is not yet clear, nor whether there have been any casualties as a result.

Many people were evacuated from buildings in Panama City, about 200km (124 miles) away, according to new agency AFP.

The earthquake comes just three days before Panama was scheduled to hold a national evacuation drill for dealing with a major earthquake.

It also follows devastating earthquakes in Colombia and Venezuela earlier this year.