The 7.7 magnitude earthquake that occurred in the Central American country of Panama caused great panic throughout the country. Due to the earthquake, which damaged many houses, there were power outages, and flights and public transportation were stopped.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the earthquake occurred at a depth of 12.6 kilometers underground. The institution warned that casualties may have occurred in the earthquake.
While more than 12 aftershocks were recorded after the severe earthquake, television images showed many people taking to the streets in panic.
"WE ARE AFRAID OF OUR HOUSE COLLAPSE ON US"
Ricardo Brown, 74, who lives in the Las Minas region of Herrera province, close to the epicenter of the earthquake, stated that many houses were damaged.
"We're scared. It's just the two of us, two old people, living here. There are cracks in our house and we're afraid it's going to collapse on us," Brown said. he said.
The tremor was also felt strongly in the capital Panama City. While some residents stated that the earthquake lasted about 40 seconds, it was stated that the shaking may have been felt longer in other regions.
POWER SHUT DOWN IN SIX STATES
Electricity distribution company Naturgy announced that power outages occurred in six states due to the earthquake.
Flights were temporarily stopped at Tocumen International Airport, one of the important air transportation hubs of the region.
While metro services were suspended in the capital, employees at many workplaces were evacuated in the early hours due to concerns about possible structural damage. There was traffic congestion throughout the city.
It was reported that education in schools across Panama was suspended and students were sent home for security reasons.
SOME BUILDINGS COLLAPSED
It was announced that the epicenter of the earthquake was near the sparsely populated settlement of La Pitaloza in the Herrera province, close to the Pacific coast.
In social media images confirmed by Reuters, it was seen that a church was damaged and some buildings around it collapsed in the city of Penonome, located between the capital and the epicenter of the earthquake.
Panama Civil Protection Agency President Omar Smith stated that they also received reports of damage from Chitre, the capital of Herrera province, and the coastal areas of Los Santos province.
The tremor was also felt in San Jose, the capital of neighboring Costa Rica.
TSUNAMI DANGER IS OVER
After the earthquake, a tsunami warning was issued for the region.
The US Tsunami Warning System later announced in a statement that the tsunami threat resulting from the earthquake off the coast of Panama was over and that there was no new danger.
ACTIVITIES CONTINUE IN THE PANAMA CANAL
It was announced that the Panama Canal, one of the most important transit points of global trade, was not affected by the earthquake and its operations continued normally.
It was reported that approximately 90 ships, including bulk carriers, tankers and container ships, were waiting for passage or port operations in the canal, which is approximately 203 kilometers away from the epicenter of the earthquake.
ECONOMIC LOSS MAY REACH 10 PERCENT OF NATIONAL INCOME
According to the initial assessment of the USGS, it is estimated that the economic losses caused by the earthquake may be between 1 and 10 percent of Panama's gross domestic product.
Nestor Luque, Director of the Panama Earth Sciences Institute, said that the earthquake occurred as a result of the release of long-accumulated tension in the Azuero-Sona Fault System.
Luque stated that seismic waves spread throughout the country and therefore the shaking was felt in almost every region of Panama.
In Panama, where major earthquakes are relatively rare, a national evacuation drill was planned to be held next Monday to test the country's disaster response capacity.
