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

Panama's government declared a state of emergency on Saturday following powerful earthquakes that struck the country. Two quakes, measuring magnitudes 7.7 and 6.6, caused extensive damage and prompted evacuations across all 10 provinces and two Indigenous territories. Officials reported damages to homes, schools, healthcare facilities, roads, and hotels, with about 420 homes and 27 people injured.

The earthquakes also toppled buildings and prompted evacuations in the central provinces of Veraguas, Herrera, Cocle, and Los Santos. Malitzie Rivera, deputy director of the National Civil Protection System, stated that the majority of the damage occurred in these provinces. Some communities remained cut off due to landslides and road damage.

While no deaths were reported, Panamanian residents described the quakes as intense and unprecedented in their lifetimes. The US government pledged $5 million in humanitarian assistance and sent a disaster response team to provide search and rescue expertise along with aerial and on-the-ground assessments.