It was the biggest earthquake in history: 'National Emergency' declared in Panama

Secretary of the Council of Ministers Juan Carlos Orillac made a statement about the 7.7 magnitude earthquake at the press conference held after the extraordinary Council of Ministers meeting. Stating that a National Emergency was declared, Orillac stated that at least 27 people were injured and hundreds of houses and education centers were damaged in the earthquake.

Orillac announced that up to 100 million dollars will be allocated to cover the damages caused by the earthquake. Minister of Economy and Finance Felipe Chapman said that Panama has the necessary financial resources to cover the damages and meet urgent needs.

On the other hand, in Panama, where more than a hundred aftershocks occurred, some of the people spent the night in parks and on the streets.

Authorities are continuing damage assessment studies across the country, especially in the central states of Herrera, Los Santos and Veraguas, which were among the regions most affected by the earthquake and closest to the epicenter.

MORE THAN 800 RESIDENCES AND EDUCATION CENTERS WERE DAMAGED

The Panamanian government announced that 426 residences and 419 schools and education centers were damaged in the investigations carried out after the 7.7 magnitude earthquake.

Initial investigations revealed varying levels of damage, from slight cracks to destruction, in the residences where 2,130 people lived. While emergency aid was provided to families whose houses became unusable, it was reported that work would be carried out to repair the houses and build new houses.

Minister of Education Ventura Vega is expected to announce in which regions face-to-face education will continue in the week starting on October 12 and in which education will be suspended.

HISTORICAL CHURCH WAS DAMAGED

The historic San Atanasio Church in Panama's Los Santos province was severely damaged in the 7.7 magnitude earthquake. As the upper floor of the church's bell tower collapsed onto the road, deep cracks formed in the walls of the building and the entrances to the church were closed for security reasons.

Speaking to the Spanish news agency EFE, historian Manuel Moreno Arosemena expressed his regret for the damage, stating that the church is not just a building but a common symbol of high spiritual and emotional value for the people of the region.

While at least 13 churches were damaged in five states, one of the two towers of the San Juan Bautista Cathedral in the city of Penonome in the center of the country collapsed while the priests and regional bishop Edgardo Cedeño were in a meeting.

THE BIGGEST EARTHQUAKE IN HISTORY

According to the statement made by the US Geological Survey (USGS), the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that occurred yesterday in the Pitaloza Arriba region near the southern tip of Panama was recorded at a depth of approximately 10 kilometers. It was stated that this earthquake was the largest earthquake in the country's history.

Following the earthquake, which was also felt in the capital Panama City, a tsunami warning was issued for the coastal regions in the eastern Pacific.

Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino, in his statement on the social media platform of US-based company X, called on the public to remain calm.

According to the national press, after the 7.7 magnitude earthquake in the south of Panama at 12.56 local time, local authorities and emergency teams started damage assessment studies.