A maternity ward in Panama City was among the buildings evacuated during the tremors A massive magnitude 7.7 earthquake has hit Panama, damaging buildings and prompting a wide-ranging tsunami warning for neighbouring countries.♪

巴拿马城的一家产科病房在地震期间被疏散的建筑物之一 一场7.7级大地震袭击了巴拿马，造成建筑物受损，并促使邻国发布了广泛的海啸警报。

About 4.6 million people felt moderate to severe shaking as a result of the quake, according to the US Geological Survey, which has said that the effects of the disaster were "likely to be widespread".♪

据美国地质调查局称，约有460万人因地震感受到中度到严重的震动，该调查局表示灾害的影响"可能广泛"。

The quake, which hit just before 15:00 local time (18:00 GMT), could trigger tsunamis in Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile and Mexico, according to the US Tsunami Warning System.♪

根据美国海啸预警系统，这次地震发生在当地时间15：00（格林威治标准时间18：00）之前，可能会引发哥伦比亚、哥斯达黎加、智利和墨西哥的海啸。

The epicentre of the earthquake was about 6.2 miles (10km) from the small town of Pitaloza Arriba in south-central Panama, with a series of shallow aftershocks following it.♪

地震震中距离巴拿马中南部小镇皮塔洛萨·阿里巴约6.2英里（10公里），随后发生了一系列浅层余震。

Footage shared online, which has not been verified by the BBC, appears to show collapsed buildings in the towns of Penonomé and Soná.♪

网络上分享的视频未经BBC核实，似乎显示佩诺诺梅和索纳镇的建筑倒塌。

The quake was registered as occurring at a depth of just 12km.♪

地震发生在仅12公里深处。

The shallower the earthquake, the more likely it is to have more severe effects on the surface.♪ However, the full extent of the damage it has caused is not yet clear, nor whether there have been any casualties as a result.♪

地震越浅，地表受影响的可能性越大。 然而，目前尚不清楚其造成的全部损害，也尚不清楚是否造成人员伤亡。

Many people were evacuated from buildings in Panama City, about 200km (124 miles) away, according to new agency AFP.♪

据新机构法新社称，许多人从距离约200公里（124英里）的巴拿马城建筑物中撤离。

The earthquake comes just three days before Panama was scheduled to hold a national evacuation drill for dealing with a major earthquake.♪

这次地震发生在巴拿马原定举行全国性疏散演习以应对重大地震的三天前。

It also follows devastating earthquakes in Colombia and Venezuela earlier this year.♪

今年早些时候，哥伦比亚和委内瑞拉发生了毁灭性地震。