Panama Declares State Of Emergency After Twin Earthquakes

Panama's government declared a state of emergency on Saturday after two powerful earthquakes and more than 100 aftershocks struck the Central American country, damaging buildings in all 10 provinces and two Indigenous territories, according to the Associated Press, via The Guardian.

What prompted Panama's state of emergency?

Presidential minister Juan Carlos Orillac announced the declaration during a news conference in Panama City after Friday's magnitude-7.7 and magnitude-6.6 earthquakes, the AP reported. Orillac said homes, schools, healthcare facilities, roads and hotels were among the structures damaged. The declaration gives the national government a formal footing to direct emergency response and repair resources across the affected provinces.

How many aftershocks have been recorded?

Seismologists logged more than 100 aftershocks following the initial quakes, including shocks measuring magnitude 5.8, 5.5 and 5.2, according to the report. The larger of the two main quakes was centered about 10 kilometers (6 miles) southwest of the remote community of Pitaloza Arriba in Herrera province and struck at a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles), the U.S. Geological Survey data cited in the report shows. That quake was also felt in neighboring Colombia.

Where was the damage concentrated?

Most of the destruction was concentrated in the central provinces of Veraguas, Herrera, Cocle and Los Santos, Civil Protection officials said. The agency reported that about 420 homes and roughly the same number of public schools were damaged, along with seven hotels, at least 13 churches and nine bridges, according to the AP. In La Villa de Los Santos, a colonial-era town about 64 kilometers (40 miles) northeast of the epicenter, homes and a historic Catholic church were among the structures hit. A car was crushed beneath debris from a collapsed building in Penonome, images accompanying the report show.

Were there any deaths or injuries reported?

Officials did not attribute any deaths to Friday's earthquakes, the AP reported. Malitzie Rivera, deputy director of the National Civil Protection System, said 27 people had been reported injured, with injuries ranging from minor to moderate.

What does a state of emergency change in Panama?

The Guardian/AP report does not detail the specific legal powers the declaration unlocks, but it notes the announcement followed assessments showing damage spread across every province and two Indigenous territories — a scale officials cited as the basis for the emergency footing. The declaration follows the toppling of buildings near the epicenter and evacuations ordered across the country as the initial quakes and the aftershock sequence continued to shake communities for hours, according to the report.

The full scope of repair costs and timelines for restoring damaged schools, hospitals and bridges had not been detailed in the government's initial briefings, based on the information released Saturday.