‘It was a terrible thing’: Panama declares state of emergency as quake aftershocks rattle communities

More than 100 aftershocks as high as magnitude-5.8 recorded after two quakes toppled buildings and prompted evacuations

Panama’s government has declared a state of emergency on Saturday as the aftershocks of two powerful earthquakes that roiled the country shook communities for hours.

The earthquakes toppled buildings near the epicentre and prompted evacuations across the Central American country. Seismologists recorded more than 100 aftershocks, including ones measuring magnitude 5.8, 5.5 and 5.2.

The presidential minister, Juan Carlos Orillac, announced the emergency during a news conference in the capital, Panama City. He said homes, schools, healthcare facilities, roads and hotels were among the damaged facilities.

Most of the damage was concentrated in the central provinces of Veraguas, Herrera, Cocle and Los Santos.

About 420 homes and the same number of public schools had been damaged, according to the Civil Protection agency. It also reported that seven hotels, at least 13 churches and nine bridges were affected by the earthquakes.

“We’ve been here since 1 pm yesterday; we haven’t moved,” Tony Jiménez, whose home partially collapsed, said, while sitting with relatives under a tent. “It was a terrible thing. I can tell you with absolute certainty that in my 90 years, I had never experienced anything like it. It was intense – truly intense.”

Officials did not report any missing people on Saturday but said some communities remained cut off due to landslides and road damage.

Messages of support and offers of assistance were sent from across the region shortly after the earthquakes. Mulino on Friday thanked fellow Latin American leaders for their support, saying he had spoken with the presidents of Chile, Uruguay and Guatemala, among others.

The US military’s southern command said two helicopters, supported by the state department’s drug-control bureau, had delivered 2,000 pounds (907kg) of food to people affected by the earthquakes.