Traumatised Panamanians begin recovery from 7.7-magnitude earthquake
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
After the initial 7.7-magnitude quake around midday on Oct 9, more than 100 aftershocks have been recorded, some as strong as magnitude 6.0.
PHOTO: EPA
- Residents in southern Panama began cleaning up after a 7.7-magnitude quake, with no reported deaths but widespread damage, fear, and more than 100 aftershocks.
- People in Chitre and other hard-hit areas slept outdoors or in schools as homes, roads, and power lines were damaged, and 30 people were treated for minor injuries.
- President Jose Raul Mulino declared a state of emergency to speed up up to US$100 million in aid, while the US pledged rapid support and airlift assistance.
AI generated
CHITRE, Panama – Residents near the epicentre of a major earthquake in southern Panama began cleaning up on Oct 10, traumatised by the previous day’s strong shaking that left widespread damage but so far no reported deaths.
“This is something we’ve never seen before. We weren’t prepared for this kind of event,” said Aldulfo Quintero as he cleared debris from a store in Chitre, about 250km south-west of Panama City.
The 41-year-old said he has a “great fear” that a new earthquake could strike any moment.
After the initial 7.7-magnitude quake around midday on Oct 9, more than 100 aftershocks have been recorded, some as strong as magnitude 6.0.
Like many others in Chitre, the capital of hard-hit Herrera province, 28-year-old Yakshuri Castillo chose to sleep outdoors due to fears of another quake.
She said she “went into shock” when the first quake struck.
In Macaracas, also located in Herrera province, 68-year-old retiree Javier Jimenez said he had to sleep at the town’s school.
“We can’t live like this,” he said, adding that his house entrance was covered with broken tiles from the roof.
“Everyone is afraid because the earthquakes are constant, we don’t dare to return,” he added.
Dozens of homes were damaged in the city, whose 66,000 residents were still without electricity on Oct 10.
The epicentre of the initial quake was registered by the US Geological Survey (USGS) about 60km away, near the border of Herrera, Los Santos and Veraguas provinces.
Earthquakes are rare in Panama and usually occur in western Chiriqui province, bordering Costa Rica.
State of emergency
Strong shaking in Panama City, more than 200km from the epicentre, sent people pouring into the streets from the capital’s numerous high-rise buildings.
While no deaths have been reported from the quake, about 30 people have been treated for minor injuries.
Officials are still assessing the damage in remote areas. Several communities have been cut off due to roadways damaged by the quake.
“The disaster we are facing is massive,” Panamanian president Jose Raul Mulino said upon arriving in one of the affected areas.
His government declared a state of emergency on Oct 10, a move that will speed up procedures to manage “up to US$100 million (S$128 million)” in humanitarian aid, according to Presidency Minister Juan Carlos Orillac.
The US, which counts Panama among the members of President Donald Trump’s new “Shield of the Americas” initiative, has pledged rapid support.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on X on Oct 9 that he was “closely monitoring” the situation, with his office “rapidly mobilising resources and personnel to assist”.
The top US military commander in the region, Francis Donovan, has “directed immediate support to help the people of Panama, including on-the-ground support from rotary-wing aircraft...and the airlift of key personnel and supplies into the country,” US Southern Command said in a statement on Oct 10.
The Panamanian quake is at least the fourth quake in 2026 in Latin America surpassing 7.0 in magnitude, after devastating back-to-back earthquakes in Venezuela’s Guaira in June and a powerful earthquake in western Colombia in August. AFP