7.6-MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE

WASHINGTON, OCTOBER 9 /SRNA-RIA Novosti/ - A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck Panama this evening, the US Geological Survey /USGS/ reported.

The powerful earthquake struck about 10 kilometers from Pitaloza Arriba and was also felt in the capital, Panama City.

The US Tsunami Warning Center issued an alert over the possibility of large waves.

Potential tsunami warnings were issued for Ecuador, Colombia, Nicaragua, Panama, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, El Salvador and Costa Rica.

Panama lies in a seismically active area where several tectonic plates meet and interact, making the country prone to earthquakes.

Parts of western and eastern Panama are particularly seismically active, while active faults in the central part of the country also pose a potential risk to the capital and the Panama Canal.