Filipinos safe after Panama mega quake
A COLLAPSED building and damaged vehicles are seen in Penonomé, Panama, following a magnitude 7.6 earthquake, according to the US Geological Survey. The powerful tremor sparked panic in the capital, although no casualties or damage had been reported at the time of the initial reports.
Photograph courtesy of MARTIN BERNETTI/Agence France-Presse
No Filipino was reported killed or injured in the magnitude 7.7 earthquake that rocked Panama and triggered over 100 aftershocks, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed Sunday.
In a brief statement, DFA spokesperson Analyn Ratonel said the Philippine Embassy in Mexico and Philippine Honorary Consulate in Panama remain in close contact with Panama authorities as developments unfold, to monitor the situation and ensure the safety of Filipinos there.
Based on the DFA’s 2020 data, there are over 1,000 Filipinos in Panama.
Although no casualties were recorded, the powerful quake that jolted Central America about 12:56 p.m. local time, toppled buildings and bridges near the epicenter, injuring nearly 30 people. The quake struck at a depth of 10 kilometers or 6 miles.
More than 100 aftershocks, including those measuring magnitudes 5.8 to 6.6, prompted the declaration of a state of emergency.
The tremor was also reportedly felt in neighboring Colombia. According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), its epicenter was located around kilometers (6 miles) southwest of Pitaloza Arriba, a remote community in Herrera province in central Panama.
The USGS initially estimated it at magnitude 8.0 before revising it down to 7.7.
A widely shared social media video showed water falling from the rooftop pool of a building more than 20 stories tall.
Another showed a bridge over the Panama Canal shaking violently yet remaining upright as vehicles crossed it.
The last major quake that struck Panama was in 1991, killing over 20 people and injuring nearly 600.