Magnitude-6.8 earthquake hits off Panama

PANAMA CITY (AP) — A magnitude-6.8 rattled the coast of Panama on Tuesday, causing people to scurry out of shaking buildings but causing no reported damage.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the 1:35 a.m. quake was centered off the Pacific Coast about 81 miles (130 kilometers) south of the city of David.

"It was a pretty strong movement and there were several aftershocks, but in the monitoring we've carried out until now, we have not found material damage or injured people," said the national civil defense director, Arturo Alvarado, in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.