Panama declares state of emergency as powerful quake aftershocks rattle communities

Описание: (11 Oct 2026)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Penonome, Panama - 09 October 2026
++ NIGHT SHOTS ++
1. Various of damaged buildings, cars

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Penonome, Panama - 10 October 2026
2. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Yamilis Baraona, resident:
"I was at home with my grandmother. She can't run much and I got really nervous and the first thing I thought of was to help my grandmother get out. But my grandmother can't run and she was going really slow and anxiety that took hold of me."
3. Damaged buildings

ASSOCIATED PRESS
La Villa de Los Santos, Panama - 10 October 2026
4. Damaged building

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Penonome, Panama - 10 October 2026
5. Various of hospital patients in a parking lot
6. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Alex Barrio, doctor:
"We stayed in the parking lot area, in the tents that we currently see here where we are located. Since the event occurred until now, we have not entered the structure (hospital). The structures must be fully evaluated by Civil Protection and safety."

ASSOCIATED PRESS
La Villa de Los Santos, Panama - 10 October 2026
7. Various of people temporary living on the streets
8. Damaged car
STORYLINE:
The government of Panama declared a state of emergency Saturday as the aftershocks of two powerful earthquakes that roiled the country shook communities for hours.

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.

Officials did not attribute any deaths to the quakes but reported damages in all 10 of Panama's provinces and two Indigenous territories.

The 7.7- and 6.6-magnitude earthquakes on Friday toppled buildings near the epicenter 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.

Malitzie Rivera, deputy director of the National Civil Protection System, told reporters the state had reports of 27 people with injuries, ranging from minor to moderate.

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

The Civil Protection agency tallied roughly 420 homes and about the same number of public schools damaged.

It also reported that seven hotels, at least 13 churches and nine bridges were affected by the earthquakes.

In La Villa de Los Santos, a colonial-era community about 40 miles (64 kilometers) northeast of the epicenter, homes and a historical Catholic church collapsed.

People who spent the night on the streets were waiting for the government's guidance on what to do next.

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

On Isla Caña, off the Pacific coast of Los Santos, approximately 300 people were evacuated because of rising sea levels and rough surf.

Meanwhile, in the city of Penonomé, around 150 kilometers (93 miles) from the capital, a shelter was housing 13 people, including five children.

Tocumen International Airport in Panama City, one of the region’s busiest airports with more than 20 million passengers in 2025, temporarily suspended operations after the first quake but said Friday but reopened hours later.

The Panama Canal Authority said operations were continuing normally along the global trade route.

AP video by Abraham Teran and Aris Mariota.

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