An earthquake of magnitude 6.6 shook the Gulf of Darien near the Panama-Colombia border Wednesday night followed by an aftershock of 4.9 just ten minutes after the first jolt, said US Geological Survey.
There were no reports of casualties or damages in the nearby areas as the quake site is not densely populated.
According to USGS, the quake was centred about 41 kilometres (25 miles) northeast of Puerto Obaldia, Panama, while both quakes struck at a depth of 10 km (6.21 miles). On Twitter, Panama’s civil defence agency wrote that the earthquake was felt in the provinces of Darien, Panama, Guna Yala and West Panama. “There is no report of effects,” said the agency.
Panama’s National Emergency Operations Center later ruled out the possibility of a tsunami. The tremor was felt in some parts of Panama’s capital and the dwellers of the Colombian cities of Medellin and Cali also felt jolts.
The region affected by the seism is home to Darien Gap, an area with scattered dense jungle, a primary land route for migrants heading north out of South America. Hundreds of thousands of migrants have passed through in recent years.—APP
