SONÁ DISTRICT, Veraguas Province — A 6.6 magnitude quake occurred close to Río Grande on Friday afternoon, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The tremor rocked the region at 20:25 UTC (15:25 local time). It occurred at a depth of 10 km with the epicenter approximately 14 km west of Río Grande. Seismologists first reported it as a 6.9 event, but later downgraded it to 6.6.

Did you feel it?

If you noticed the earthquake, you can report it through the USGS Felt Report form. The agency has received 6 responses on its online form so far, from people indicating they felt the quake.

Impact and estimated losses

Yellow alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. Some casualties and damage are possible and the impact should be relatively localized. Past yellow alerts have required a local or regional level response Estimated economic losses are less than 1% of GDP of Panama. Recent earthquakes in this area have caused secondary hazards such as landslides and liquefaction that might have contributed to losses.

Structure information summary

Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are a mix of vulnerable and earthquake resistant construction. The predominant vulnerable building types are unreinforced brick masonry and adobe block construction.

Earthquakes last week

Over the last week, the area has experienced four tremors of magnitude 2.5 or above. The largest one was a 5.2 magnitude earthquake that jolted in the same region prior to this quake.

The four largest earthquakes nearby in the last week:

• 5.2, southeast of Río Grande on Oct. 9
• 5.0, southeast of Río Grande on Oct. 9
• 5.0, south of Leones Arriba on Oct. 9
• 4.8, south-southwest of Tebario on Oct. 9

Area struck by 7.6 quake in 1991
Limón has faced powerful earthquakes before. A magnitude 7.6 tremor struck 21.1 miles south of Limón on Apr. 22, 1991, at a depth of 6.2 miles.

Source: The U.S. Geological Survey