Panama’s President: Quake a “Major Disaster”
A building has collapsed onto cars in Panama. Photo: Aris Mariota/AP/TT
Several roads and buildings have been destroyed following a powerful earthquake in Panama on Friday. At least 27 people have been injured in the quake, AFP reports.
The country’s president, José Raúl Mulino, stated that Panama is “facing a major disaster.”
The quake had a magnitude of 7.7 and struck around 8:00 PM on Friday (Swedish time). The epicenter is estimated to have been just outside the village of Pitaloza Arriba in the country's central region, and several strong aftershocks have occurred in the area in the hours since.
It remains unclear whether anyone has died as a result of the earthquake, but according to the news agency AFP, there are numerous reports of destroyed infrastructure and collapsed buildings. President Mulino described the event as a “major disaster” but urged calm.
“What has happened should not be exploited to create alarm and chaos,” he wrote on X.
In the capital, Panama City—located approximately 200 kilometers from the epicenter—scenes of panic unfolded in some areas.
“I was scared because the shaking was very strong and lasted a long time. Heavy objects like dressers, the bed, and all the kitchenware were shaking,” Salomon Andion told AFP after being evacuated from a 15-story building.
A tsunami warning was issued following the earthquake but was later lifted.
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