Two 5.7 magnitude earthquakes and several aftershocks shake the border between Panama and Costa Rica

The border between Panama and Costa Rica, which has seen higher than usual seismic activity in recent weeks, was shaken on Monday by two new significant tremors of magnitude 5.7 and several aftershocks, but with no injuries or damage reported so far, according to Panamanian authorities.

The Institute of Geosciences of the University of Panama recorded, one hour apart, two earthquakes of magnitude 5.7, the first of which occurred at around 2:19 p.m. local time (7:19 p.m. GMT), located at a depth of five kilometers southeast of Puerto Armuelles, a small fishing town in Panama near Costa Rica.

The agency also reported six aftershocks in the same area in the two and a half hours following the first earthquake, with magnitudes between 3.8 and 4.6.

“There are a series of aftershocks all occurring around the same area (…) These events are due to the Panama fracture zone below the microplate near the triple point area, which generates a lot of seismic activity due to the contact of three plates,” the director of the Institute of Geosciences, Néstor Luque, told EFE.

“Earthquakes cannot be prevented, but right now the triple point area is showing activity with events of moderate to strong magnitude, releasing the accumulated energy from the stresses exerted by the plates in the area,” Luque added.

Panamanian authorities are monitoring the area and have evacuated some buildings, but so far there are no reported casualties or damage.

Some users on social media reported that they felt the tremors strongly, both in Panama and Costa Rica.

This area near the border between Panama and Costa Rica has been experiencing daily earthquakes without interruption since July 8, with earthquakes ranging between 5.4 and 3.3 magnitude, the largest of which occurred on July 13.

The Pacific Ring of Fire, which is shaped like a horseshoe and concentrates some of the most important subduction zones in the world and is the scene of strong seismic activity, is made up of Ecuador, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, the United States and Canada.

With information from EFE